The Butterfly
by elle6778
Summary: Follow-up to 'The Chrysalis'. Itachi finds himself inexplicably drawn to a certain pink-haired kunoichi and when she fails to present herself as he expects, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Little does he know that his fixation will develop into something so completely out of his comfort zone. Set in a Canon environment with an AU storyline. ItaSaku.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

Title: The Butterfly

Author: elle6778  
Rating: M (for violence & sexual content)

Warning: Some elements can be construed as non-consensual.

Summary: Follow-up to 'The Chrysalis'. Itachi finds himself inexplicably drawn to a certain pink-haired kunoichi and when she fails to present herself as he expects, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Little does he know that his fixation will develop into something so completely out of his comfort zone.

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A/N: So, here's another multichaptered fanfic from me. You might want to read Chrysalis first before reading this. This is set in a Canon environment but the story itself is AU. Hope you'll like it!

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**The Butterfly - Chapter 1 - by elle6778**

Crouched with one knee on the tree branch, Itachi directed his intense regard upon the hooded figure below. Covered as she was, he should not be able to recognize her. However, he could easily tell that she _wasn't_ the kunoichi he'd anticipated.

An inexplicable mix of irritation and no, it couldn't possibly be disappointment, washed over him.

The last he'd seen _her_, her tracking skills had improved. After their first encounter, she'd taken an unacceptably long three months to locate him, only to lose him soon afterwards.

Their subsequent meeting had taken her another two months of searching, much to his dissatisfaction. The battle had commenced immediately. As he'd traded blows and jutsus with her, it occurred to him that despite her tracking skills her other abilities had barely upgraded. Therefore, it had not been difficult to defeat her even though she possessed what he now referred to as the emerald Sharingan.

At that juncture, he'd been disappointed at her lack of progress. If she planned to waste the Sharingan, perhaps he should simply kill her. He'd wanted to see the potential of that new power brought to the world of shinobi and so far, he'd seen nothing. That battle had simply been a waste of his time, and he'd wounded her almost fatally before he whispered his words in her ears.

"You're weak, just like Sasuke. I allowed you to live so that you could explore your potential, and thus far you've nothing to show for it," he had murmured. "Pathetic."

Her expression had hardened then, much to his satisfaction. He'd thought that perhaps she'd finally understood what he wished to impart to her.

"Don't patronize me! I'm not weak!" she'd hissed. "I promise that one day, you'll regret saying this."

Smirking, he'd left her in a pool of her own blood at the border between Fire and Wind Country, knowing that the Konoha patrols would soon venture that way, for it was not his intention to allow her to die so easily. With Sasuke gone, she was the only one left with the potential to offer him a worthwhile challenge and besides, something about her sparked his interest. It would not do to eliminate his only source of amusement.

The next time they'd met was in Tea Country.

He'd been tracking down the rumor of a scroll of forbidden jutsu, curious as to what it contained. Rumor had it that the jutsu allowed one to siphon chakra from others for their own use. It reminded him of Samehada, and vaguely he wondered what had become of Kisame. Akatsuki had disbanded about two years ago and he'd not laid eyes on the Mist nukenin since.

His journey, however, had been rudely interrupted when the pink-haired kunoichi landed in front of him, blocking his path. As usual, she'd been clad in full ANBU gear complete with the mask.

In the course of the fight, he'd finally noticed a marked improvement in her skills. The battle had been satisfyingly long, each of them intent on winning. Although Itachi had not utilized his full strength, he had been tempted to. The sensation of stretching himself after so many of dissatisfactory encounters with inferior nins had been exhilarating. Much to his exasperation, the kunoichi had ultimately lost before he could push himself further. It had struck him then that his reaction to the victory was somewhat inappropriate, and at that thought, he'd turned to leave.

Wounded and barely breathing, she'd somehow found enough strength to speak, albeit in a shaky voice.

"Why?"

He'd halted then, turning back slowly to face her. Slumped against a tree with bloody wounds peppering her body, she'd glared at him.

"Why?" he'd queried.

"Why didn't you kill me? Why do you always let me live?"

He'd allowed a smirk to cross his features. "You amuse me."

Her eyes had flashed with outrage just before she gritted out, "I'm not your plaything."

"And I am not playing, kunoichi."

With that, he'd left her.

The event had set the tone for the rest of their many encounters. The kunoichi would locate him and a battle would commence. With each battle, he would study the way she gained stronger and more outlandish abilities. And after each battle, he would find himself anticipating the next one.

Three month ago, these had stopped.

Much to his puzzlement, Itachi found himself wondering about her continued absence. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that the Hokage must have given her a different assignment. This sometimes happened when a target persistently evaded the assigned hunternins. The notion that she was probably no longer focused exclusively on him sent an odd spike of displeasure through him.

Unused to doing nothing about something which bothered him, however mildly, he stared into the distance as he considered his options.

And when he reached a decision, his eyes narrowed and his lips tilted into a small smile.

000

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000

It had taken merely two weeks to locate her in the depth of Snow Country.

The surges of chakra and fluctuation of energy pinpointed her location, as well as four other active signatures he did not recognize. They were in a battle and he wondered if she was alone against four, or if some of them were her comrades. Interested to find out what was happening, he kept his presence cloaked with genjutsu and leapt from one leafless tree to another until the figures came into sight.

She was surrounded by four rogue nins, one of which had blood dripping down his arm. Several other nins were dead on the ground which told him that the battle had been sustained for a while. With his Sharingan activated, he could see read every tensed line of her body. Intent on knowing what she would do, he settled himself comfortably against a tree to observe.

In a blink of an eye, the fight resumed with a burst of chakra. The kunoichi utilized her signature move by cracking the earth, sending a cloud of snow and rock shooting upwards to scatter her opponents. Before the obstructions could settle, she caught one opponent in a chakra binding and slayed another with a vicious flash of blade and a spray of crimson, bringing a quirk to Itachi's lips.

A barrage of shuriken sped towards her and she leapt out of the way only to have another nin attacking her from above. Just as her enemy's blade connected with her, she disappeared in a substitution technique. Reappearing not far away, she launched head-on at her attacker, much to Itachi's disapproval. She lacked subtlety and that had not changed since their first encounter. Her volatile temper no doubt contributed to this unacceptable flaw of hers.

The kunoichi met her opponent with a clash of blades. As they exchanged blows, spikes of ice shot towards her from behind. She tensed in recognition of the danger, and spun around to slide out of the way. An icy spike grazed her thigh and she jerked, but did not stop to tend to the injury.

Inexplicably, Itachi found his eyes riveted to the droplets of her blood gracing the whiteness of the snow beneath them. As they continued to fight, more crimson drops fell from all three shinobi. He felt something he could not name, and so he shoved it aside to continue watching.

Dark tomoe spun rapidly in both her eyes and in a breath, she'd caught both opponents in a genjutsu which had them shrieking in terror, a sight which brought a spike of pleasure in Itachi. It wasn't long before her opponents' eyes went blank and their bodies were still.

By this time, she was panting heavily but she could not afford to rest. The final shinobi had just broken out of her chakra bindings and was now circling her threateningly. Soon, they were both ducking and diving in a dance that kept Itachi's attention riveted. She was graceful, using only the most efficient movements but he could tell that there was _still_ room for advancement. He could tell that this time, she was at a disadvantage considering her injuries, but it did not appear as if she was ready to yield.

The battle raged on with a furious exchange of taijutsu and when she finally killed him, she was on her knees unable to support herself. Her breath was a series of ragged drags and her shoulders heaved with the effort of each inhale and exhale. Her white-knuckled grip on the hilt of the katana buried in the body in front of her was the only thing holding her up.

Itachi continued to watch until her body gave out and she slumped sideways to land face down in the snow with a soft thump. Only then did he uncloak himself to move silently to her side. None too gently, he used his foot to nudge her over to her back, revealing her masked face.

She stirred weakly when he knelt down to pull her mask off. Emerald green eyes immediately snapped open and her entire body coiled with tension when their eyes met. If he hadn't pressed a hand down on her ANBU vest, he was certain that she would have jumped up to attack him, despite her ridiculously depleted state. She often displayed a terrible lack of self-preservation, after all.

A hiss escaped her lips as she strained to get up. "Let me go or I'll kill you!"

Mild incredulity made him stare at her a moment before he asked, "Are you so foolish to think that you stand a chance against me in your condition?"

"I-" she broke off and then coughed hard.

Blood sprayed from her lips, splattering her face with viscous red fluid. He frowned when he realized that she was more injured than he'd assumed. She must have sustained some internal injuries. He would be most displeased if she was to die now that he'd taken the trouble to find her.

"Heal yourself," he ordered flatly.

Her eyes flashed with defiance, but when she opened her mouth to speak, another round of hacking cough and sprays of blood interrupted her. The urge to shake her was strong but he refrained from doing so.

Then her eyes rolled back in her head and her body went still.

Itachi froze. His skin felt strange, like it was crawling with something unpleasant and there was an odd prickling sensation to the right of his head. How strange. Even unconscious, she had the unwelcomed power to surprise him.

What to do now, he wondered. She could die if he left her here, vulnerable to human and non-human predators.

000

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000

It did not take long for him to find an inn. Ignoring the looks given to the odd sight of him carrying a kunoichi dripping with blood, he procured a room and made his way there. He felt an unfamiliar sense of irritation as he climbed the stair with the unconscious weight slung over his shoulder. Perhaps he should have allowed her to die. After all, as amusing and challenging as she was, what he was currently doing went against every fiber of his being.

It was uncharacteristic of him to _help,_ he thought as he dropped the kunoichi on the bed carelessly. She bounced once and the sight made him wonder if he should have been more careful since he'd taken the trouble to bring her here. Well, now that he had come this far, he might as well complete his task.

With that thought, he methodically removed her weapons from her body and began to slash the blood-soaked ANBU uniform off until she was left in her chest bindings and underwear. Her body was covered with so much blood that it was difficult to catalogue her injuries. He deduced that the worst of the injury would be somewhere upon her torso, seeing that she'd been coughing up blood.

This was far from the first time he laid eyes upon a woman's naked body, but he naturally reacted as a normal male when he cut through her chest bindings with a sharp kunai. Still, it was not an appropriate time to dwell on such thoughts. He might be a ruthless missing nin but taking sexual advantage of an unconscious woman was below him.

His eyes landed on the jagged gash just below her right breast, deducing that it was the most probably source of her internal injury. He pressed around the area and took note that two of her ribs were also broken. There was nothing he could do about the broken bones but he could utilize his basic healing knowledge to ensure that the condition of her lungs did not deteriorate.

A moment later, his hands were glowing with the light green healing chakra. As he pressed them into her, he vaguely recalled how Kisame had always complained loudly about the painful invasion. According to Konan, who had instructed them in the use of chakra to perform basic healing, the knowledge and the ability to heal did not mean one would be good at it. A good medic had the skills to heal with an efficient amount of chakra without causing the patient more pain, but he was definitely not one of those. It was strangely appropriate, he thought. He was always more likely to inflict pain rather than comfort, after all.

It took half an hour and more chakra that he would have liked to expend before he was satisfied that she would not die. The open wound on her chest was now closed but there were mottled red patches all around where his chakra had entered her. Chakra burns, he noted dispassionately. He scanned the rest of her form, deciding that what he'd done would suffice, and then proceeded to throw a thin sheet over her. She could heal the rest of her injuries when she awakened.

To his annoyance, it occurred to him that she would lack the necessary chakra to do so unless he fed her. Something within him balked at the idea of sourcing food for her, nevertheless he found himself venturing to the vending machine downstairs after warding the room. The selection was sparse but it would serve its purpose.

He reentered the room to find her still unconscious, so he laid the chocolate bars and the cartons of milk down at the side table before settling himself on the couch. After he'd consumed some of the milk, he closed his eyes to rest.

A wheezing sound broke his light slumber and Itachi's eyes snapped open.

The kunoichi was pushing herself up with her hand pressed against her broken ribs. Those emerald eyes settled coldly on him as she dragged the thin sheet up to cover herself. He was not expecting any gratitude but her attitude rankled.

"W-what did you do?" she snarled in a broken voice.

He raised a brow. "That should be obvious."

Confusion flashed across her face momentarily and then her guard went back up. With a sneer, she said, "You can't expect me to believe you saved me."

He directed his impassive gaze to the region of her chest, finding it unnecessary to say anything. Her lips thinned as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Dropping the sheet to her waist, she inspected the bruised, mottled skin around the newly healed gash. If she was in any way perturbed by her nakedness, she was not showing it. He could hear her muttering under her breath, categorizing her injuries and she scanned her body with glowing hands while ignoring him.

She had only commenced the healing of her ribs when her chakra level dipped further, putting a halt to her work. A frustrated sound escaped her, and it made Itachi smirk.

"Eat and drink first," he instructed.

She cut a hard look at him, looking as if she was about to say something snide. However, common sense clearly prevailed for she nodded curtly and reached out for the crisps and milk. Pulling the sheet back up, she began to eat while sparing him the occasional wary glance. Her distrust of him could not be clearer.

Two cartons of milk and three chocolate bars were consumed before she spoke again.

"Why did you save me?" she asked coldly.

Why indeed. "I find you strangely fascinating."

Those green eyes flashed again. "I am not an object for you to play with," she said tersely.

"You seem to be very fond of that particular verb."

"Verb?"

"Play." He smirked. "I assure you, as interesting as you are, I have no intention of _playing_ with you. Why are you so fixated with the term? You've used it to describe our _interaction_ more than once."

She looked away and drew a deep breath, as if to calm herself. When she turned back to him, she queried in a measured tone, "Why do you find me… fascinating?"

He folded his arms behind his head and leaned back casually, a not-so-subtle way of informing her that he perceived no threat from her. "Perhaps I wish to measure your potential, and learn what I can about those eyes of yours."

Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the sheets hard. "Dream on. You will get nothing from me," she declared stonily.

She was just as amusing as ever, he thought. "You don't have a choice."

"What are you going to do? Kidnap me?" she snapped. "Hold me in a cell and study me until you find what you want?"

"That's an interesting possibility."

In a blur of movement, she stood up with the sheet around her and streaked to the door. She was fast, but her unhealed injuries were slowing her down. With unsurprising ease, he intercepted her escape and in the next moment, she was wincing in pain as his body pressed hers to the door.

Fingers tightening around her neck, he husked against her forehead, "Foolish kunoichi."

"L-let me go, you sick bastard!" she choked out.

"You're in no position to be demanding."

She tried to break free but it only resulted in her expression blanching in pain. Deciding that he'd had enough of this absurdity, he hefted her up with no regard for her indignant protests and dropped her back on the bed.

Standing over her irate form, he told her calmly, "How about a deal?"

A frown appeared between her brows but she remained silent.

"Heal yourself, and if you manage to defeat me in a battle, I will cease to… 'play' with you."

It took two seconds for her expression to take on a stubbornly resolute air. "Then you'd better be prepared to have your ass dragged back to Konoha."

000

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**A/N: Comments are most welcomed! **

:elle6778:


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Many thanks for reading and reviewing! Without further ado, I present the next chapter...

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**The Butterfly - -Chapter 2 - by elle6778**

It was rare for him to experience such a level of anticipation preceding a battle. However, he had spent three impatient days waiting for the kunoichi to recover completely. Now that she claimed that she was, it was time to see if she had improved from their last fight.

They had trudged through the deep snow to the nearest forest for their appointment.

When the moment came, the atmosphere swiftly turned heavier and darker. His Sharingan-activated eyes not leaving her tomoe-dotted emerald ones, he stood in a clearing across from her. The snow-covered clearing was silent around them, unmarred by any signs of life, while they gauged each other's intentions.

Blurs of action erupted without notice and Itachi was suddenly high in the air escaping a blinding-fast kick. He touched down for a blink of a second and immediately followed on with a dive to avoid her fists. It was customary for her to choose close-quarter-combat, therefore he was not surprised when she kept the distance between them small. Previously, it had been far too easy to taunt her with near-misses but her speed had improved significantly since their last encounter. This cautioned him to consider distancing himself. Based on what he'd learnt, one glancing blow was all it took for her to incapacitate her opponent.

Launching into the air, he sped through a series of seals and chakra flared.

_"Katon: Gyokakyou-no-jutsu!"_

A fireball crashed where she'd been standing and snow melted into a pool of water. Without pause, another series of seals followed.

_"Suiton: Suigadan!" _

Spinning water drills exploded from the pool to rush towards her, only to be hindered by a rumbling wall of rock shooting up from the ground. He caught sight of her determined expression just for a brief second but it was enough to draw forth that now-familiar sense of anticipation.

They clashed again with a furious exchange of attacks; his ninjutsu and her chakra-fuelled techniques. Amidst the clouds of dry snow, injuries began to appear and were disregarded. None of them had utilized their Sharingan for genjutsu yet, but Itachi found that he was _enjoying_ himself too much to do otherwise. For now.

She executed her signature move to send rocks and ice sky high. In reaction, Itachi performed a substitution jutsu to avoid the attack, suspending himself on a tall tree branch. From there, he flung a handful of kunai, forcing her to move away from him. His eyes narrowed when she stilled momentarily, clearly gathering chakra. The fact that she actually broke her momentum to do so suggest that the technique was particularly complicated, or new. He found it peculiar that she followed it up by reaching inside her weapons pouch. While his mind processed that she hardly ever utilized any throwing weapons, the barrage of sharp blades zipped towards him. His moment of contemplation meant that it was too late to shift, but it was a simple matter to use a kunai to deflect the projectiles.

Itachi felt the anomaly just as he left the tree to join the last of her kunai on the snow. There was an unexpected numbness travelling through his left arm. He frowned, deducing that as unlikely as it was, perhaps one of her kunai had grazed him, and that the kunai had been coated with poison. Her minor success brought forth a feeling of approval mixed with slighted pride, as strange as it sounded.

Across the white expanse of snow, the kunoichi smirked and taunted, "Feeling particularly good, Uchiha?"

Impassively, he returned, "Poison, kunoichi?"

She stilled for a moment and even over the distance, he could see something click in her mind. Then she snorted, "As if it's something so basic!"

True enough, a brief exploration of his system confirmed it and he frowned inwardly. If it wasn't poison, then…

"Medical chakra," he murmured in realization. Interesting. They'd had no direct contact. "How?"

She only smirked enigmatically, her eyes gleaming in response to her small victory. It mattered not. Now that he knew what it was, it took him mere moments to decide the most efficient way to remedy the damage.

As he casually slid his right palm over his left arm, something occurred to him. "Has the Mangekyou form manifested?"

Surprise flashed briefly over her feature but it was quickly shuttered. "Why do you want to know?"

Surreptitiously feeding healing chakra into his disabled arm, he murmured, "I would take that as a no."

The tic above her brow betrayed the truth. Conversationally, he continued, "One of the secrets in the Uchiha clan revolves around the acquisition of the Mangekyou. Are you aware of this?"

Looking disconcerted, she returned warily, "You need to kill the person closest to you to get the Mangekyou."

"It seems that it's no longer a secret, then."

"Who did you kill?"

"My cousin. We were close."

"I find it hard to believe that you're actually close to someone. You seem incapable of emotion," she told him scathingly.

Was he incapable of emotions? "I was once as young and naïve as you are, and was just as susceptible to impractical ideals."

"And yet you killed him? Didn't you _feel_ anything?" she asked with incredulous horror.

The years had dimmed the memory but he could vaguely remember. "I was distraught by the idea of taking his life."

She was clearly taken aback by his admission. Then in a tone tinged with curiosity, she asked, "So were you really close to your cousin?"

"Shisui was my best friend."

Clearly repulsed, she demanded, "And you killed him just for the Mangekyou? If he's really your best friend, then you shouldn't be able to do it!"

"If he wasn't my best friend, killing him would achieve nothing," he returned calmly.

She shook her head in disbelief. "Your principles are twisted."

"Perhaps."

It took a few more seconds of careful manipulation of his own chakra before sensation flooded back into his arm. He felt a surge of satisfaction when she realized what he'd done. The conversation had served its purpose.

"Well, kunoichi. Shall we recommence?"

With an infuriated hiss, he saw her gather more chakra and once again drove her fist into the ground. Dissatisfaction rolled through him at her lack of originality. Perhaps he had overestimated her potential. In which case, he would have to simply kill her this time, he thought as he substituted himself to appear just outside of the perimeter of the explosion.

He expected the rocks to crash back down to the ground. To his surprise, the icy rocks suspended mid-air, and then took a ninety-degree turn to rush towards him at a blinding speed. The next thing he knew, the rocks had enclosed themselves around him. His body shivered with cold as crystals of ice began to propagate.

Ah, so that was what it was, he thought as a finger of glee inched up his spine. It took a mere moment for him to disrupt the chakra feed to his brain and the genjutsu disappeared.

"Shannaro!"

He took out a kunai to block the blade headed for his heart. Metal clanged but she managed to slice his forearm with her katana. With a hiss, he leapt out of immediate danger to find her sneering at him with glittering eyes graced with slowly-spinning black tomoe.

Adrenaline masking the pain of his injury, he smirked at her, "Your genjutsu has improved."

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" she taunted.

"It was well executed," he admitted, and then, "I will no longer hold back, then."

Her eyes widened and her brief loss of composure was enough of an opening. She might have discovered how to dispel his Mangekyou techniques but only if she'd previously seen them. And she was not the only one who'd progressed. He'd developed new techniques as well and was waiting for someone to use as a test subject.

His seals took just a second to complete, long enough for her to gather her own chakra in readiness. With an explosion of his chakra, thin geysers of steaming hot water erupted from the ground. She wasted no time in moving to sidestep the closest one, and her retaliation came in the form of a bombardment of shuriken which occupied his attention.

Deafening hisses filled the air as jets of steaming hot water continued to shoot up wherever she was, forcing her into a continuous string of leaps while she kept up the barrage of projectiles. The force of a jet finally grazed her body, destabilizing her just before he felt something amiss. His suddenly-numb right leg buckled under him, allowing another of her shuriken to slice deeply through his forearm. Hissing, he began the process to reverse the numbness. He was at a severe disadvantage without the use of one leg.

A muted cry broke his concentration and he glanced across to find that the full impact from a jet had sent her flying through the air to crash some distance away.

Knowing that she would remain incapacitated for a while, he dispelled his technique. The air went instantaneously, chillingly still. A brief inspection informed him that his technique had drained a significant portion of his chakra, therefore slowing down the process of returning his leg to normal. It was also difficult to concentrate on what was effectively a medical technique, which frankly wasn't his greatest skill, with all the rest of the injuries peppering his body. The exertion had taken his toll and his breath was expelled in rapid burst of steam in the cold air.

When he was finally able to walk, he made his way to her crash site, betraying no outward signs of his weariness. He looked down at her impassively, studying her expression of pure rage as _feelings_ rose within him. When was the last time he had enjoyed such a delicious _thrill_? He could not remember but it did not matter. She had not beaten him in this fight but she was certainly a worthy opponent. Just how _good_ she could be? How much _more_ could he expect from her?

"You lost," he informed her.

Eyes glittering up at him with undisguised hatred, she spat, "So kill me already!"

"That would be a waste."

She thumped a frustrated fist on the snow-covered ground as she pushed herself up, trembling in pain. "What do you want from me?" she snarled.

He had heard this question from her before. And as before, the response that readily came to mind was that he wished to gauge her potential. But was that really the case? He'd found himself questioning it when he'd saved her just a few days ago. One would think that instead of saving her, he should have left her to die if she was not strong enough to survive on her own.

"Uchiha," she prompted with a hint of what sounded like desperation in her tone. "Tell me."

He shrugged a shoulder, choosing not to answer. How could he, when he did not know the answer? What he did know was that her question discomfited him and it was not a pleasant sensation.

The buzz he'd experience dimmed abruptly, and now he found himself irritated.

It was _her_. It was this kunoichi who brought forth such nonsense to his mind. Was she truly worth the trouble? Was _studying_ her worth the disruption to his peace of mind? Why had he bothered to seek her out? Wouldn't it be simpler if he just waited a year or two before he challenged her again? Surely by then, she would have reached the peak of her capacity. The chrysalis would have turned into a butterfly, and thus exposing all her colors for the world to see. That would be the perfect time for him to challenge her. And if she failed to mature fully by then, perhaps she deserved to die.

Sparing her a quick glance and knowing that she would survive the scalds upon her body, he ignored her look of surprise, turned and left her there.

000

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000

_The arrogant, icicle of a bastard!_

He was unbelievable, she fumed as she kept to the shadows. It was like he took some sick joy in mocking her every time they clashed. She knew that her skills were way above average but no matter what she did, he seemed to be one freaking step ahead. Who the hell did he think he was? And what was he thinking, actually _helping_ her in Snow after that unexpected encounter with the rogue syndicate? Surely it was clear by now that it was her mission to track him down and kill him? And even if it wasn't an assignment, she would gladly sink her katana into his heart because he, Uchiha Itachi, was the one who started this whole damned mess by brutally murdering his clan!

Eyes narrowing and hands clenching, she took a deep breath to calm herself as she studied her surroundings. Now that she was finally back in Konoha after three painful days of travel, it would not do to allow her rage to show. They might suspect that something was amiss.

Barely holding on to her composure, she finally reached her place and released the wards to enter. Glowering inwardly at the reminder of the cause of her discomfort, Sakura winced as she dropped down to the couch in her living room. Her body continued to ache mercilessly as she tried to stay as still as possible so that she did not aggravate her condition further. As she's been in a hostile territory, she couldn't even rest properly to recuperate and she knew that it would be mad to travel completely drained of chakra. So she'd held back from healing herself fully, mending only the critical wounds so that she could make her way back home as speedily as possible.

Now that she was here, there was something she needed to do first. She directed a precise amount and pattern of chakra to activate the Sharingan and felt her eyes sting in reaction before everything around her became ultra-defined. She'd thought that her own eyes were perfect, but her original eyesight was nothing compared to this. From the couch, she was able to thoroughly scan her entire apartment for any irregularities. The thick lined curtains were drawn shut across every window and the spidery webs of seals around all openings and external walls were glowing bright as they'd been when she'd first formed them. The bright concentration of chakra at the top left corner of the photo frame cradling the picture of Rookie Nine and another concentration of chakra under the dining table in her kitchen also remained untouched.

The tension in her shoulders melted slightly as she exhaled in relief. Nothing had been tampered with and her wards were all intact, so she allowed the Sharingan to dissolve. She'd worked hard on improving the wards and it looked as if her efforts were paying off. That was just one less vulnerability for her to suffer through.

Her hands dragged through her shoulder-length hair to pull it into a messy ponytail. Sinking further into her couch, she thought of how she'd been rudely made aware of how weak her home security was. Back then, the new modification to her eyes had just been made. She swallowed hard past the lump in her throat when Sasuke's bloodless face came to mind. Forcing away the unwelcomed and painful memory, she recalled how Danzou had been disappointed that once again, their attempt to modify one's eyes to manifest the Sharingan had failed. The only difference between her and the rest of the experiments was that she'd not gone blind. She'd returned home after a week of observations only to sense that _something_ was wrong. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to pinpoint what bugged her. Frustration had made her temper boil and she'd _glared_ at everything around her home until suddenly, _suddenly_ it was as if light had flooded a pitch black room and everything became very, very clear.

And with the manifestation of her Sharingan came the realization that her home had been searched and bugs had been planted. She'd found them on a photo frame and under her dining table. Knowing that she wasn't supposed to know about the bugs, she'd moved around in a constant state of anxious wariness for the following two months until she'd figured out enough about the Sharingan to come up with a solution to deal with it. Now if anyone was monitoring those bugs, all they could hear whenever she was around were most mundane domestic sounds.

The whole idea of her privacy being invaded made her so mad. She knew that Danzou did not trust her. Hell, anyone could tell. If he didn't need her medical knowledge so badly, he would have killed her instead of going through so much trouble to keep her here. Without Tsunade and Shizune around, she was the only one with the ability to carry out high-level medical jutsu. Danzou had to make her stay so that the village's medical facility was kept running. Even so, she was just one person. Tsunade would be horrified by the state the hospital was in if she was to see it today.

She closed her eyes at the thought of her shishou, willing away the sting of tears. It was something she shouldn't let herself think about but how could she stop it? The last time she'd seen Tsunade was two years ago, back when she was sixteen. Root nins had held Sakura down while Katsuyu escaped with a bleeding, unconscious Tsunade while Shizune covered their backs. Sakura had no idea if they were alive, as she'd heard nothing confirming either way.

Her lips quirked mirthlessly. This definitely wasn't the life she'd expected to live. She'd always thought that she would have her shishou and her teammates with her as she progressed through the ranks. Now Tsunade, Shizune, Naruto and Kakashi had disappeared, Sasuke was _dead_, Sai was absorbed back into Root and was carefully monitored, and the rest of shinobi clans was simply too _cautious_ to do anything but obey Danzou's directives. Their newest Hokage was merciless and would not think twice of killing at the slightest hint of disobedience. More than half of the Inuzuka clan had been wiped out as a warning just because they'd initially refused to submit.

She exhaled loudly, telling herself to snap out of this trip down memory lane. It wasn't as if she hadn't spent much of the last two years thinking about the situation and not being able to do a damned thing about it. The only thing she could do and had done was so insignificant that it was almost petty. But at least it meant that Danzou would continue to underestimate her.

Bringing chakra to her hands, she began to finish healing the remaining injuries. Later, after she'd drafted a highly-censored report, she would explore a new possibility that had dawned on her during the fight. And no, she told herself harshly, it wasn't because a certain lunatic had repeatedly challenged her.

000

* * *

000

A month dawdled by as Itachi went on with his travels and his pursuit of knowledge. Lately, his life seemed rather… _dull_. No longer could he expect to be entertained by a certain pink-haired kunoichi as he'd decided not to seek her out again, at least until a year or so had passed, a long enough span of time for one to progress significantly.

He unrolled the scroll in his hands and studied it briefly. Annoyingly enough, his new acquisition failed to excite him but this no longer surprised him. Seated on a warm rock at the edge of a natural hot spring, he perused the scroll with little interest. It was a forbidden water jutsu that was morphed into a dark, but powerful technique. He supposed it could come in useful for some, but his Sharingan allowed him to achieve the same result with much less effort.

Rolling up the scroll, he tossed it to the side and with a flick of his finger, set it on fire. He had memorized the pertinent information and it made no sense to leave it around for another to find.

He was about to leave the area when he felt an unfamiliar form of energy surround the space he occupied. Stilling, he waited. And then the source of the irregularity made itself known.

Itachi blinked once. For a moment, the disparity between the image in front of him and the chakra signature stumped him briefly until the name came to mind.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he greeted mildly.

The boy… no, man… before him inclined his head in acknowledgment. Gone was the spiky-headed, orange-clad boisterous ninja. Naruto's blond hair was now long enough to be pulled back in a low ponytail like his own, his blue eyes had lost the sparkle it had once had and his body appeared to have grown fully. The blinding orange outfit he'd used to wear was now replaced with a more sensible attire of black and dark green.

"Uchiha Itachi," Naruto said in a pitch much less shrill than before.

The last time Itachi had heard him was when the boy had been screaming at the top of his lungs during the bijuu extraction process. He supposed in a way, he should thank Naruto, for he played a large role in a destruction of the sealing statue. If not for that, Itachi knew that he would be still working under Madara.

"I've been looking for you." Naruto looked disgruntled. "You're not an easy man to track."

"Is that so?" A little surprised, and wondering if Naruto sought revenge for the extraction incident, Itachi went on, "Why are you searching for me?"

"You haven't made a single report to Jiraiya in years."

Mildly surprised at his knowledge of his status, Itachi queried, "And you waited so long to make contact?"

Naruto's expression hardened. "I just found out about you being a double agent recently. So, what happened? Why did you stop?"

Ah, that. Deciding that there was no harm in enlightening the other nin, Itachi pronounced, "The agreement involves keeping Sasuke out of harm's way." At least until his little brother had gained enough strength to be a worthy challenge. "Konoha failed to do so when Sasuke was allowed to join Orochimaru."

Naruto paled instantly at the mention of Sasuke even as a hint of confusion crossed his features. "I see." A moment of silence followed before he continued, "I guess now you hold no loyalty towards Konoha, huh?"

"Even if I continued to supply information, nothing would have changed."

Naruto's eyes flared red for a split second. "It would! It would have stopped the coup, and you know that. Danzou wouldn't be in power today if you'd done what you're supposed to do."

There was a tingle of something Itachi couldn't identify in his mind and in his chest, but he brushed it away. "Danzou would find ways to gain power. He'd done so this time by exploiting internal weaknesses. The intelligence I agreed to supply only covers external affairs, therefore it would make no difference."

Naruto stared hard at him for a long while, and then in a gesture reminiscent of his youth, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't get why Jiraiya trusted you in the first place. You're supposed to be the greatest genius amongst your age group. You could have helped if you wanted to. But in the end, when Konoha needed it, you did nothing."

"You expect otherwise from someone who eliminated his entire clan in cold blood?" Itachi asked mildly.

"At this point, I expect nothing." His blue eyes flickered, and in a subdued tone, Naruto said, "About the massacre, there are rumors that you did it under the council's orders."

Itachi merely raised a brow but did not choose to confirm or deny the statement.

Naruto sighed. "Fine, fine. I won't ask."

Itachi smirked as he thought of how much Naruto had changed. From what Jiraiya had told him several years ago, Naruto had the potential to become the next Hokage. Itachi had his doubts back then, but the man in front of him was a different matter altogether. A little like the pink-haired kunoichi, Naruto had changed. He hadn't thought that she would amount to much when they first encountered each other years ago, but it was different now. Fleetingly, he wondered why she had not defected like Naruto. He was under the impression that they were close.

"Who are you aligned with now?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Itachi slid him a bland look. "No one. Akatsuki has been disbanded."

"Where are the members?"

"Some are dead. The rest are… occupied with various pursuits."

"Are they plotting anything against Konoha or any other villages?" Naruto questioned warily.

"I may not be affiliated with the remaining Akatsuki members, but I see no reason to expose their activities."

Naruto looked surprised, and then he nodded once. "Got it." After a short pause, he asked, "Since you're not affiliated with anyone, would you help me if I asked?"

Help? "I do not_ help_ anyone," he said, but as soon as the words left his mouth, the unwelcomed image of an injured pink-haired kunoichi came to mind.

Naruto scowled. "Alright, then. What are you after? Money?"

A contemptuous sound broke from his lips. The hidden stash of Uchiha funds he'd been accessing ever since the massacre had barely been dented over the years. Money was something he did not lack.

"People always want something."

Naruto's words struck a chord in him. Recalling his preoccupation with kunoichi, Itachi supposed one could say that he sought knowledge and ultimately, power. Or perhaps it wasn't something so simple. Perhaps he sought the challenge that arose when one sought power.

Naruto sighed. "If you're just loafing about as a missing nin…"

Loafing? Offended, Itachi cut the younger nin a sharp look.

Unperturbed, the blond continued, "What? We usually hear _some_ news about missing nins because most do some kind of private work. There's no such news of you. So, if you're not doing anything important, why not name your price for your services? We could do with some help. You're free to go your own way after that. No strings."

Itachi decided not to answer.

"Well," Naruto continued, "Think about it, and we can have another chat in about a week."

And with that, the blond disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

A few hours later, Itachi was left wondering if he was finally succumbing to insanity when he actually _considered_ Naruto's proposal.

000

* * *

000

Itachi knew that he could be patient when the situation called for it. However, this was ridiculous. He and his partner had mostly been in plain sight at the edges of Fire Country for the past couple of weeks without a single sighting of Leaf ANBU operatives.

"Should we just walk into Konoha like we've done before?"

Itachi shook his head once. "The situation is different this time."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Why? Are you concerned?" he asked mildly.

The Mist nin snorted. "As if I would waste something like that on you."

"Hn."

They spent another hour or so walking through the forest. He could tell that Kisame was growing increasingly edgy by the way he shifted Samehada from left to right and back again. In the middle of one of those shifts, a sudden _buzz_ emanated from the cloth-covered weapon.

At the same time, Itachi sensed the presence of a number of masked chakra.

Kisame grinned, baring his sharp teeth. "Looks like luck is finally on our side."

There were five of them, travelling fast towards Konoha. The moment Itachi and Kisame jumped in their path, they dropped into a defensive formation. One had an unconscious body slung over his shoulder, and the rest formed a protective cage around him.

The moment Itachi's eyes landed on the figure to the far right, he immediately recognized her even though she was attired identically as the rest. Excitement spiked through him, much to his displeasure. His fixation with this kunoichi could be a problem if he did not get it under control.

As expected, her body tensed visibly when she caught sight of them.

The leader of the squad stepped forth. "Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame. You're trespassing in Leaf territory."

Kisame let out a bark of obnoxious laughter. "So what? We're just taking a walk."

Itachi could sense that the leader was deliberating if they should interrupt their mission to fight the new arrivals. He had to suppress a smirk when the leader motioned for the ANBU carrying the unconscious body to go without them. Fool, he thought. It was the wrong choice.

The battle commenced without warning and Itachi found himself facing two ANBU while Kisame did the same. To his _delight_, the kunoichi was one of his opponents.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as they circled each other.

"I have my reasons."

She darted a suspicious look at Kisame. "Is the Akatsuki active again?"

"Not in the way you mean," he replied as he sidestepped her charge.

The other ANBU, an Aburame male, asked quietly, "You know him?"

"You could say that. By the way, Danzou wants him brought back alive."

"Noted."

The male ANBU released a cloud of bugs at him. It took Itachi a flick of his fingers for Amaterasu to activate and swallow the bugs in its black flames. The interruption in his conversation with the kunoichi was _unwelcomed_. He needed to dismiss the interference but he knew that he had to be careful of the moves he made.

As both ANBU attacked from opposite side, he created a bunshin and reacted. Just beyond some trees, he could see Kisame grinning as he utilized Samehada's greatest ability on his opponents. The ANBU put up a good fight but they were nowhere close to an S-class missing nin's level.

He continued his exchange with his opponents, taking care not to over-exert. The battle was made more demanding by the fact that the kunoichi seemed to be able anticipate his actions. But perhaps he shouldn't be too surprised, as they had clashed numerous times in the past. He was mildly amused by the idea that they were almost like regular sparring partners who were able to guess each other's moves.

He glanced quickly towards his partner and was pleased to find that Kisame already had his two chakra-drained ANBU slung over his shoulders. They exchanged a nod, and Kisame leapt into the trees.

Now, he thought as he surveyed the remaining two ANBU. The kunoichi was gathering chakra to her fists while the Aburame male slid into position in preparation for another wave of attack. On her own, the kunoichi was already challenging. With the aid of the Aburame, they could possibly subdue him.

Before they attempted such a thing, he would give them a good fight and in turn, give himself a much-anticipated workout.

A humorless smile flitted across Itachi's lips as he charged.

000

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A/N: I saw somewhere that reviews are like food for authors... There's some truth in it. So please comment! :)

:elle6778:


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for your comments. Truly appreciate the time you've taken to write them. Please enjoy this chapter...

* * *

**The Butterfly - -Chapter 3 - by elle6778**

His entire body throbbed and his head felt heavy. He flexed his limbs, noting that there were cold hard shackles around his wrists and ankles. His body protested against the movement, reminding him of his unhealed injuries. A quick glance around told him that he was in one of the old, disused cells low in the bowels of Konoha. From what he could tell, the cells around him were unoccupied and the nearest people were two guards some distance away. They clearly did not want him to have any contact with others.

The novelty of the experience almost made him chuckle. He could not remember the last time he was restrained in such a manner.

While he waited for someone to appear, he studied the small cell. He was surrounded by rocks on all sides, bar the one metal door with a grille at head level and a small hatch at floor level. Directly opposite him was a slab of rock which served as a bed. There was a waist-height wall further at the back of the cell, shielding the privy and the wash area. The metal shackles holding him were embedded into the face of the rock behind him. He directed chakra through his body and felt the instant pressure around his wrists and ankles warning him to cease. Ah, they were the chakra-control types he'd used during his days as a Leaf ANBU.

He smirked.

So far, nothing was particularly alarming about the situation.

His gaze went to the door when he heard the faint sounds of footsteps approaching. In response, he relaxed his pose slightly.

The cell door clanged open and in walked two figures.

Danzou and the little pink-haired kunoichi.

And so it began, Itachi thought.

"Uchiha Itachi. So this is how the mighty falls," Danzou mused smugly. With a brief glance at the kunoichi beside him, he continued, "I suppose we couldn't have done it without your brother's… contribution."

Itachi felt a flicker of something at Danzou's words but it eluded him before he could analyze it further. Beside him, the kunoichi tensed visibly. Any mention of Sasuke tended to unsettle her and not for the first time, he wondered how she managed to sustain such an intense emotion for someone who'd been absent from her side for so many years.

"Nothing to say, Itachi-kun?" Danzou asked, raising a brow.

"Your success in taking over Konoha astounds me. Clearly, Konoha doesn't ask much of her leader," Itachi said mildly. "A pity."

The minute stiffening of the old man's form was his only warning. Itachi wasn't surprised when a fist connected with his jaw a second later, snapping his head back. He smiled tauntingly as pain blossomed across the left side of his face. Was that the extent of his physical strength? No, Danzou was capable of much more. Itachi doubted that the old man had mellowed over the years. He was the person who'd driven the decision to eliminate the Uchiha, after all.

"Don't forget you're at our mercy," Danzou told him coldly. "You will give us what we want or suffer the consequences."

With that, Danzou stalked away. Pausing at the door, he said without looking back, "Haruno. Since you've dealt with this so well, I'm allowing you to handle his… care. We don't want him to use Sharingan on those who are less prepared than you are. Make sure there's nothing hidden on his person. Also, we need him… healthy."

Itachi felt more than saw the kunoichi nod before she murmured, "Yes, Danzou-sama."

Danzou gave him a condescending look. "Fix this filth up and report to me tomorrow morning. You'll have further instructions then."

"Very well, Danzou-sama."

The door clanged shut, leaving Itachi alone with the kunoichi. She said nothing and only regarded him with those large green eyes. She was dressed in her usual ANBU attire but her mask was hanging by her hip, leaving him a free reign to study her features.

Silently, she took a few steps to close the distance between them. He noticed that she kept from meeting his eyes, and for some reason, it rankled.

"Do you fear me?"

Her head snapped up, and her eyes immediately narrowed. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

She was finally looking at him the way he wanted her to; like she wished to plunge a kunai deep into his chest. It was oddly _satisfying, _even though this was only a verbal exchange. His initial interest in her was primarily her potential as a non-Uchiha owner of the Sharingan, but lately he was beginning to wonder if that was all it was. Their conversations never bored him, after all.

She straightened to glare at him. "Why should I fear you? I defeated you, remember?"

"Aa. So it appears."

Her glare dimmed to be replaced by a mildly suspicious look. The kunoichi might be somewhat short-tempered and naïve but she was not stupid by any means. Still, it was unlikely that she would be able to discern the truth of his presence here.

Before she could say anything, he asked, "Are we being monitored?" He sensed nothing of the sort, but he wished for confirmation.

The look of suspicion intensified. "Did you _let_ me win?"

He raised a brow, watching as she struggled to contain her impatience and growing agitation. Pressing her fists against her hips, she regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before she shook her head, as if to clear it.

"What are you planning?" she finally asked.

"Answer my question. Are we being monitored?"

She hesitated for a moment, and then said, "No."

"Good."

"Why?" she asked.

"I only wish for a modicum of privacy."

She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Aren't you forgetting something? You're a prisoner here."

"For now."

Her eyes narrowed again. Then, "Whatever you say. Do not attempt to use the Sharingan on me. You know that it won't work and it would only piss me off."

When he did not reply, she moved closer with glowing hands. A moment later, his limbs grew completely numb, leaving him hanging by his wrists unable to hold himself up. The state didn't last long, for she soon unshackled him and propped his back against the wall as he slid down to the stone floor. From his seated position, he kept his eyes on her, knowing that it would unnerve her as she began to strip him.

Her movements were efficient as she manipulated his unresponsive limbs to remove his clothing. It was clear that this wasn't the first time she undressed an uncooperative body. Then again, she was a medic nin, therefore this must be nothing new to her. Her movements were professional and it was as if she'd forgotten that he was an enemy. He had the fleeting thought that if she ever found him sustaining an injury she hadn't inflicted upon him, she would heal him and ask questions later.

"Are you an active medic nin?" he asked curiously.

Her eyes darted to him briefly but she answered in a grudging tone, "I do a lot of work in the hospital, if that's what you mean. Not that it's any of your business."

"Is it not? I believe I've expressed my interest in you."

She jolted, and then gave him an incredulous look. "I'm sure you don't mean it the way it sounded."

A wry smile crossed his lips then, and she stared at him, seemingly unable to break her gaze. It was only when he raised a questioning brow that she pulled her attention away to finish undressing him. Her reaction was most intriguing. It was almost as if his direct attention unnerved her, and yet, this had never happened on the battlefield.

"I'm going to check for injuries and weapons," she murmured tonelessly, almost as if she was talking to herself.

His entire body was covered with blood and dust, so she was unable to catalogue his injuries visually. As she began the inspection, he could feel the surprisingly soothing invasion of her chakra. She started at his neck, moving down as she went along to heal the open wound on his left shoulder and on right side of his torso. He had seen enough medics to know that she was proficient, and fleetingly, he wondered why he wasn't concerned she might take advantage of his seemingly weak position.

"Fractured ilium," she muttered, kneeling to his right. "Brace yourself. You'll feel a tingle."

She progressed to heal the area crushed by a house-sized boulder she'd thrown at him earlier. As his right side began to tingle internally from her ministrations, he let himself recall how she had anticipated his moves and managed to make her attack connect. She'd clearly fought with him often enough to predict his preferences, which meant that he would have to reassess his strategies for their future encounters. Unfortunately, that day was further away than he would have liked.

A stabbing pain jolted him out of his thoughts and an involuntary hiss escaped his lips. Her eyes jerked up to his, and surprisingly, he saw concern reflected in them. A moment later however, he found himself feeling something else entirely inappropriate in reaction to her touch. Kneeling to his side, her palms were pressed just an inch away from his swelling male appendage. It was clear that he simply had to resign himself to the indignity. One could hardly blame him considering their suggestive positions.

She choked back a gasp when her gaze dropped but to her credit, she did not retreat. He watched with growing amusement as she regained control and her emotional mask came back up as she continued to heal him, leaving only her reddened cheeks to betray her discomfort.

Itachi could not help but smirk. Perhaps he should be feeling some embarrassment, but he did not. She must have felt his reaction, for she looked back up to glare at him.

"It's not funny," she gritted out as she shifted further along to concentrate on his legs.

"My _reaction_ isn't abnormal," he returned calmly.

He saw her eyebrow twitch before she muttered, "I know. You're not the first man I've treated this way."

There was a curious stab of ire deep inside him at her words, but he dismissed them in favor of watching her work. Her chakra probed his lacerated right thigh and he felt his tissue knit together as she worked. Her healing chakra was not unpleasant at all. Unlike his, it felt warm and soothing.

She straightened abruptly when the healing was completed. A frown graced her brows as she glanced to the rear of the cell, and Itachi could guess what she was thinking. And when she knelt back down, she gave him a stern look.

"You're a mess."

"Aa."

"If I allow you to walk back there to clean yourself up, do I have your word that you won't try to escape?"

"Does my word mean anything to you?" he returned mildly.

She held his gaze for a long while, and then she said, "As strange as it sounds, yes. But don't make me regret it."

"Then you have my word, Haruno."

Silently, she leaned forward and ran her glowing hands over his limbs. He felt a measure of strength return to his arms and legs, but she halted before it was fully restored. He clenched his hands, testing his capacity and decided that as weak as he felt, he would be able to take care of relieving and washing himself.

As she watched him warily, he pulled himself up onto his feet and made his way beyond the half-height stone wall. There was an empty bucket under a tap just behind the wall and a hole in the ground further back. His muscles felt pathetically frail but he had enough strength to turn the tap. He sensed a brief flare of chakra from her, but decided to investigate later. When water began to sputter out, he waited until the dirty yellow ran clear before he scooped some into his mouth. The sensation of water sliding down his parched throat felt good. It did not take long for him to methodically clean himself, paying no mind to the kunoichi as he did so. He was merely going through the motions, doing what she expected him to do.

When he was done, he walked out dripping wet. Keeping her eyes above neck level, she handed him a small towel and gestured at the stone 'bed' which now held grey prison wear and a folded blanket. His own clothes were nowhere to be seen. Unrushed, he dressed himself and then sat down. The series of activities he'd just gone through had depleted whatever strength she'd returned to him. He could not help but marvel at her ability to allocate _just_ enough for him to complete those small tasks. Her chakra manipulation skill was one of the best he'd come across.

"I'm going to assume that you prefer not to be shackled," she said. "So lay down."

Comprehending her intentions, he brought a smirk to his lips. Knowing that it would rile her, he asked, "Are you planning on molesting me to keep me subdued? Is that how Konoha handles prisoners these days?"

Her eyes shot wide in a mix of shock and disgust. "W-What? No!" Glaring at him when she realized that she'd fallen into his trap, she snapped, "Fine, then. You're just asking to be shackled, aren't you?"

Raising his arms wide and propping up a leg on the stone slab in an intentionally inflammatory manner, he remarked, "I don't recall Konoha ANBU being so _considerate_. The standards have clearly deteriorated since my time. You have all grown soft."

The reminder of his previous status made her tense and anger flared in her eyes. "Your time in Konoha? You have some nerve bringing that up. We all hear rumors, of course. And I could never make sense of what you did. From what I heard, you were the top shinobi here, an ANBU captain destined for great things. Why did you throw it all away just like that? Why did you end up doing something as senseless and heartless as killing your entire clan? Did you feel nothing?"

Did he feel nothing? He considered her words. Memories of that night were strangely dim but perhaps his subconscious had chosen not to preserve those images. It occurred to him then that no one had ever asked him how he'd felt that night before.

"That's none of your business," he decided to say, for the lack of anything else.

She yanked him up only to swing around and slam him against the other wall. Eyes glittering, she ground out furiously, "It's none of my business? I told you before. If it weren't for you, Sasuke wouldn't be dead."

"Sasuke's dead because he was too weak."

His head snapped back and banged against the rock as she wrapped her hands around his neck. Pain radiated across the back of his skull. The mention of Sasuke always had the effect of heightening her emotions. However, this was the only time he was at a severe disadvantage, in a manner of speaking.

"I could kill you now," she threatened as she tightened her fingers.

"But you won't," he husked past the chokehold. "The obedient kunoichi that you are."

Her eyes glittered with hatred and something else he could not name. And then, without another word, she shackled him back to the wall before performing the jutsu to release her earlier technique. He did not show it, but he was thankful that he was able to stand on his own feet. She could have left him weak and unable to support himself.

The kunoichi then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

000

* * *

000

Sakura could almost feel eyes on her back as she strode down the street to the Yamanaka flower shop. She was used to it by now. This was how things had been ever since Danzou's takeover. Usually, she would keep her interactions with her old friends to a minimum for the fear of involving them but she just needed something _normal_ today.

Her visit to Uchiha Itachi's cell rattled her so much that she could almost scream in frustration. The man had the knack of unsettling her and she was pretty sure that he was doing it for the hell of pissing her off. It was bad enough during her _failed_ assignment to bring him back to Konoha, where she'd spent _months_ with nothing but Uchiha Itachi taunting her in her head whenever she wasn't occupied with her medical tasks. She'd been glad when Danzou had finally taken her off the assignment but now that the old man had made Uchiha Itachi her responsibility again, she was rudely reminded of the raven-haired man's ability to be a complete pain in the ass.

Today, not only was she subjected to his usual remarks, she also had to suffer the embarrassment of stripping him. And her reaction stumped her. After all, almost all male shinobi had the same kind of slender but tightly muscled built, and he wasn't an exception. There was nothing particularly attractive about him, right? She'd finally managed force herself to think of him like any other patient but it had been sheer hell because she could _feel_ his eyes on her. And he was _mocking _her, damn it! And then he had the nerve to go all…

Argh! She would not think about it!

Still fuming, she entered the flower shop and to her relief, found Ino there. Like her, Ino was still a chuunin, meaning that she was given a great deal less complex missions than a jounin or an ANBU. Unlike her, however, Ino was not made an ANBU and more than once, Sakura found herself envying her friend. Ever since the role had been forced upon her, she'd found herself saddled with assignments she would rather not take. She knew that the only reason for her position in the black ops was the altered state of her eyes, and Danzou only assigned her missions that fully exploited the eye enhancement or her monstrous strength. The missions were never easy, but none was worse than the one involving a certain infuriating nukenin.

"Forehead!" Ino greeted cheerfully, just as her eyes flickered towards the entrance.

Sakura gave her a careful smile and nodded meaningfully. She didn't need to tell her friend to watch her words. Ino knew by now that there was almost always someone tracking her movements.

Pulling a stool to the counter, Sakura sat down. "How are things?"

Clipping the base of a flower stalk, Ino said, "Nothing new." And then her eyes widened in excitement. "Say, did you hear about Neji?"

Sakura blinked. "Eh?"

Grinning, she continued, "He's going to be the next successor to the Hyuuga clan."

"Really?" Sakura gasped in surprise. "Hinata must be overjoyed."

"Yeah. She never wanted the position in the first place." Carefully placing the flower in a half-finished arrangement, Ino went on, "Hiashi-sama announced it in the clan gathering a couple of days ago."

"What did everyone else think?"

"They didn't really have much to say. But Otou-san mentioned that Hokage-sama sanctioned it, thankfully."

He would, Sakura thought darkly. Danzou would choose Neji over Hinata any day. But in this case, most people would probably side with him.

"So what's going to happen to the curse seal?"

"They found a way to reverse it, apparently."

Happy for Neji, she said, "That's great. I must congratulate him when I see him."

Ino's brows furrowed. Lowering her voice, she said, "I think he's out on a mission. You know, _that_ kind?"

It was an ANBU mission then. Like hers, Neji's status was supposedly a secret but the _Konoha no Juichinin _was too closely knit for such a big thing to remain a secret. And as always, every time she thought of the collection of her closest comrades, she was sadly reminded of the fact that Naruto wasn't with them. It was too painful, not knowing where he was and if he was alive. He _must_ be alive, she told herself sternly. Naruto was probably plotting and one day, he would appear and surprise the hell out of them.

"Oi, Forehead. Spacing out again?"

Sakura shook her head quickly. "It's nothing."

A hint of concern flashed across Ino's face. "You've been working too hard again, haven't you?"

She shrugged carelessly. "You know how things are like."

Ino silently reached over the counter to cover her hand reassuringly. "You're strong and you know that."

Did she? It did not matter. Knowing that she wasn't alone always made her feel better. "Thanks, Ino." Deciding to change the subject, Sakura asked, "So how was the date with Hayama?"

Ino immediately brightened and Sakura found herself chuckling as her blonde friend began to regale her with far too much detail about their second date.

000

* * *

000

He was left undisturbed that night.

When she appeared again, he estimated that it was about noon the next day. He let his eyes rove over her figure, noting her damp pink hair. Today, instead of her ANBU uniform she was clad in an impractical red top with a skirt, revealing the shape of her slender legs. Her attire nudged an old memory, one where she'd faced him together with her teammates years ago.

The way she looked at him told him that she would be keeping her distance today. Perhaps not physically, but emotionally. He knew from their past interactions that her hold on her temper was tenuous at best, and he looked forward to seeing just how far he could push her before she capitulated.

As with the previous day, he was unshackled and allowed to use the facilities under her watchful eyes. Her technique of draining his strength was inconvenient, but he could work around it. When he was done with his ablutions, she gestured for him to sit.

Standing in front of him, she stated in a clipped tone, "How you're treated here depends on your behavior."

He raised a questioning brow.

"I doubt we'll get any information by torturing you," she said. Giving him an odd look, she continued, "Your ANBU file says that you passed the interrogation test with flying colors. Something no one has ever done, certainly not at eleven years old."

"You accessed my file?"

"It was necessary."

He wondered what else she'd gleaned from his file. "I presume your perusal of my file means that you're seeking a weakness to exploit?" Hiding a smirk, he asked, "Did you find any?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Not yet."

"Then I have nothing to be concerned about," he stated mockingly, settling himself on the stone bench in such a way that told her that she would never find anything of that nature.

Her tone was tightly controlled when she said, "It would be in your best interest to cooperate."

"What information are you after?"

She gave him a wary look. "I doubt you'll just tell me what I ask."

"Why not?" He watched her steadily. "But as with such things, there's always a price."

"All I have to do is to give you what you want and you'll tell me what I want to know?" she asked suspiciously.

"That seems like a fair trade."

"So, what do you want? Name your price."

"That depends on the information you're after," he returned smoothly.

She strode to the opposite wall and leaned back. "There's a rumor going on about an organization aiming to overthrow Konoha's current leadership. I want to know about that."

"What makes you think I possess such information?"

"It's also rumored that this organization hired ex-members of Akatsuki." She gave him a watchful look. "And you were clearly with Kisame when we caught you."

He almost chuckled at her choice of words. "Very well, I could tell you certain things."

"What do you want?"

"A bowl of ramen."

Her eyes widened comically. "You've got to be joking."

"I find myself missing the simplest things."

Her visage turned grave. "Listen, Uchiha. I'll be frank with you. I will get the information I'm after one way or another. Even if it means that I have to remove your greatest asset to do so."

She'd masked it well, but Itachi could tell that the idea disturbed her. He also sensed that there was something else she wasn't telling him and he could not help but wonder what it was. Danzou would have given her the orders this morning, so it could be anything from physical dismemberment to various kinds of mental torture. None of which bothered him in the slightest.

Calmly, he asked, "And what might that be?"

"Your eyes."

"Aa."

There was a flash of uncertainty and then her expression revealed nothing. "It's your choice, Uchiha."

"Then make it a tempura ramen, with a side order of fried cabbage. It must be fresh."

Her brow twitched and then she stood up abruptly. "Fine. This had better not be a trick, Uchiha."

She left immediately. Knowing that he wouldn't have much time before she returned, he worked on stealthily gathering the miniscule amount of chakra from around his body to concentrate them to his fingers. It was not easy and it took some intense effort but he succeeded just as he heard the pad of footsteps returning to his cell.

When she entered with the tray, the look she gave him was filled with suspicion. Unruffled, he merely nodded at her as she set the tray beside him. The scent of deep fried prawns and noodle soup wafted up and his stomach reacted. As per his request, she had also brought a side dish of cabbage. Surprisingly, there was also some tea.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"Eat and then talk," she ordered briskly.

He picked up the warm ramen bowl and the chopsticks and began to eat. She watched him warily for a few moments and then went to settle herself against the door. The moment she took her eyes off him, he made his move, coughing as he did so.

Her attention darted back to him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he murmured as he lowered the bowl to sip the tea.

It was done.

Time passed in silence as he finished the rest of the soupy noodles. Once done, he stacked the empty dishes and pushed the tray aside.

Leaning back against the wall, he began, "What do you wish to know?"

The look on her face told him that she found it hard to believe that it was so easy. The girl was intelligent enough to deduce that much but he was not overly concerned. Still, he found himself wondering why Naruto's ex-teammate was apparently siding with Danzou.

"Are the rumors true? About an organization wanting to overthrow the current Konoha regime?"

"Yes."

She frowned. "Are you working for them?"

"Yes."

"What is their plan of attack?"

"This information wasn't given to me."

Annoyance flashed across her features. "You're not going to make this easy, are you? Then, what is your role in their plans?"

"Intelligence."

"Intelligence? You mean gathering information and so on?"

"Yes."

She looked confused. "Why you?"

"You insult me, kunoichi. I believe my abilities are well documented in my ANBU records as well as several Bingo Books."

A huff of impatience escaped her. "Fine. So that's why you're in Fire Country. Did you find anything before we caught you?"

Again with that word, he thought in amusement. "No."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Can you manage something more than monosyllabic answers?" she snapped exasperatedly.

"Yes."

At that point, Itachi sensed that she was close to screaming in frustration. Her grip on her temper was finally unraveling. He did not recall feeling so entertained in a long time. The kunoichi challenged him in battles and now he also found himself enjoying their little verbal exchanges. How… _novel_.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and then exhaled loudly. "Give me the name of the leader of the organization."

Ah, this one. Even though he could guess, technically he did not know as no one had confirmed it. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" she repeated incredulously. "You've got to be lying!"

"No. I've never established the name of the leader," he evaded.

She hissed irritably. "Who else is part of this organization?"

"Judging from the slashed forehead protectors, they're clearly nukenins from various countries."

"And this includes ex-members of Akatsuki?"

"Yes."

"All of them?"

"Not all."

She stared at him for a long while, and then with a hard look she said, "I need some names, Uchiha. Or else I'd be forced to torture the information out of you."

"Your words imply that you are reluctant to do so. Why?"

Glaring at him, she spat, "Unlike you, I take no joy in seeing another suffer."

"I would've thought that you'd be pleased at any suffering I'm forced to endure," he returned mildly. "You have shown no such reservations during our fights."

"That's different!"

"How so?" he challenged.

She tensed visibly and there was an uncertain look on her face. Then she wiped the expression away and threatened, "If you don't tell me, then we'll remove your eyes and get someone other than me to do the interrogation while I dissect all the information I can get out of them."

"I was under the impression that you've already done that with Sasuke's eyes."

Blood drained from her face, leaving those wide green eyes surrounded by blanched skin. The sight brought forth an uncomfortable sensation but he dismissed it. He watched as she swallowed hard, then moved abruptly to pick up the tray and marched out of the cell without another word.

000

* * *

000

Sakura resisted the urge to scream as she slammed out of the holding area. Her rage was close to the surface and to her dismay, the back of her eyes burned with frustrated tears. Determined not to think about her encounter with him, she resolutely made her way out of the building and crossed the short distance to the commercial street. It was a good thing that she'd not dressed in her ANBU gear this morning or else she would have had to change. ANBU was not meant to walk in plain sight, after all.

Ichiraku Ramen came into sight and predictably, her breath hitched even though she'd been there just a few hours ago. The bastard's parting shot brought forth certain feelings so much closer to the surface than she was comfortable with.

As she set the tray on the counter, Ayame appeared. Years ago, Ayame would have smiled widely at her and they would have exchanged gossips. These days, the other woman kept her eyes low as she served her. Sakura felt her chest constrict with regret, knowing that they all thought that she was a traitor. After all, she was the last one anyone would expect to end up an ANBU under Danzou's command, even though her status was supposedly confidential.

_She had no choice. _

There was always a choice, she reminded herself bitterly. She'd chosen this route herself because she was _afraid_, and was rendered powerless because of it.

"Thank you, Haruno-san," Ayame murmured as she took the tray.

Nodding, Sakura left the ramen stand.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she made her way to the Hokage's domain. Danzou would not be happy with the results of her interrogation and there was no way of telling how he would react. She'd hardly gotten anything out of the Uchiha except a confirmation that an organization of missing nins had set its sights upon Konoha. She could not help but wonder, _and hope_, that Naruto was somehow involved in it.

At the moment, there was nothing she could do except obey. She would just have to persevere until the situation changed.

She only hoped that she would not lose herself in the process.

000

* * *

A/N: Is it just my imagination or the Ita-Saku fandom is shrinking? There seemed to be a greater number of Ita-Saku writers and readers when I started writing for this pair. But that was years ago, so maybe things are different now. But isn't this the BEST couple?! I might be a little biased, so your thoughts are welcomed...

:elle6778:


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for your comments! Let's all keep the fandom and ItaSaku going strong - I would be really upset if this pairing dies out altogether! As an advance warning, I might take a week or two to upload the next chapter - real life will be replacing fanfiction-time this weekend! All that said, here's the next chapter. May I once again draw your attention to the story rating...

* * *

**The Butterfly - -Chapter 4 - by elle6778**

When the kunoichi returned the next day, Itachi fully expected her to arrive bearing a tray of sharp implements to torture him. In fact, he'd been looking forward to it. However, she did nothing of the sort. There was determination in the way she held herself, as if she was steeling herself for something. He could not wait to find out what it was.

Without meeting his eyes, she placed the tray next to him. He ate silently, carefully noting the individual ingredients. It contained similar dishes as the day before, and when his chopsticks met exactly three slices of fishcake with orange spirals, he found the sight somewhat disagreeable for reasons he could not place. His objective was achieved more rapidly than he'd expected but instead of being pleased, he found himself mildly annoyed.

Like yesterday, once he'd finished he pushed the tray to the side and sat down with his back against the stone wall. Caution was in every line of her body as she approached him even though she knew that in his physical state, she was in no danger from him. As expected, her glowing palms proceeded to numb his limbs. She was only satisfied when she ensured that he could barely move on his own.

"So, you've had your ramen."

"Hn."

"You know what I'm after."

"Aa. And I have provided all I could."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and then she exhaled slowly. "If you don't cooperate, you'll regret it," she warned. "I'm not kidding."

"Threats, kunoichi?"

"It's not a threat," she insisted with a small frown, despite the clear signs that she was trying to remain detached. "Look. We made a deal, and as far as I'm concerned, you didn't deliver."

"I've provided you with confirmation on several facts." He gave her in steady look. "And that's all I'm able to tell you."

She regarded him in silence, and he sensed that she was reluctant to do what came next. He was intrigued by the way her throat bobbed in discomfort before a deliberate mask came across her features.

When she finally spoke, it was in a deadened tone. "If that's the way you want to play it, then I guess there's nothing else I could say to sway you."

He realized then that he preferred her temper unleashed rather than this blandness. This was… disappointing. Still, the fact that he could not predict what was coming made things more interesting.

"You see, you're right about Sasuke's eyes." Staring above his head, she continued flatly, "We've learnt everything we could from the Sharingan, so it's pointless to pursue that any further, unless it was to torture you with its loss. It's too early for that, though." She paused briefly, and then continued, "What we think is that there's something only you could give to Konoha. And in a way, it befits the crime you've committed."

Itachi comprehended her intent immediately and was surprised that she would retaliate in this manner. But perhaps this wasn't her decision. Danzou had most likely given the order following her failure to extract useful information from him. Yes, this must be Danzou's doing otherwise she wouldn't be so discomfited that she found it necessary to hide behind a mask.

This had its possibilities. It would be _interesting_ to see if she could truly follow through with this task. As this body was nothing but a tool, he had nothing to lose.

"Is that so?" he murmured mockingly.

She gave him a flat look. "Yes. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be in any way _difficult_ for either of us, if your _reaction_ two days ago was anything to go by."

When he said nothing in response, she began to pull on a pair of thin surgical gloves and retrieved a transparent beaker from her pouch. He watched intently as she reached out to loosen the tie at the top of his pants. The way her jaw was clenched betrayed her real feelings and a chuckle almost escaped him when she flinched at the touch of the bare skin below his navel. If this was a seduction mission, she would have failed spectacularly. However, he had to admit with a small twinge of appreciation that her innocence was refreshing.

Her voice trembled slightly when she continued, as if she couldn't bear the silence, "Danzou-sama is pleased by the idea that we could have the Sharingan to serve Konoha once again. In a little more than a decade, your progenies would bring Konoha more strength. Even if you won't give us any information, we could still get this from you."

Just before she pulled his pants low enough to reveal his manhood, he prodded curiously, "They could do what they've done to you to achieve the Sharingan, couldn't they?"

Expression clouding, she shook her head. "Too many Leaf nins were blinded in the experiments. There were compatibility issues. Mine was just… a fluke."

"I see. Perhaps your chakra control contributes to the _fluke_."

Swiftly drawing back her hands, she exhaled loudly and then looked up. "Look, tell me what I want to know and maybe we won't have to do this. Just once, please cooperate."

"Scared, kunoichi?" he challenged silkily.

She glowered at him.

Smirking, he said, "I've always thought that all kunoichi were educated in the art of seduction. Or does that apply only to special operatives?"

"You should know, shouldn't you? ANBU captain and all?" she retorted tartly.

He shook his head. "I left before I was of age."

She blinked, and then frowned. "Thirteen is awfully young to be a missing nin."

He shrugged dismissively. "It was either that or face execution." Disliking this track of conversation, he told her, "Perhaps you should proceed with your task now."

She barely hid a flinch. He could tell that despite all her efforts, she was unable to hide the flush gracing her cheeks. Perhaps he should end this right now. What would allowing her do to this achieve? It might not harm his objective, but it still served no purpose, surely.

However, when it came to her, he found himself making the oddest decisions. He wished for her to continue. In fact, he could feel the heady strain of expectation building within him as he imagined what was to come.

"Fine," she said in a strained voice.

His eyes remain riveted her as she released him fully from the confines of the fabric. The first touch of her hand around his semi-erect length sent a dizzying rush through him and he found himself acutely anticipating what was next.

And then he felt himself harden fully at the first stroke. Jolts of pleasure trickled over him as she slid up and down firmly. Her cheeks were flushed with discomfort but she mutely persevered with the relentless fondling. In spite of her unease, she seemed to know exactly how and where to touch him to raise his desire with each passing second. It had been a long time since someone had pleasured him in this manner and his eyes drifted shut in enjoyment as he savored each glide of her fingers. He was cloaked fully in pleasure amidst the silence of the cell and he wanted to make it last.

A hitch in her breath broke the spell. His eyes opened to peer down at her, and the almost-overriding sensation of pleasure was suddenly muted.

There was disturbing shimmer of moisture in those green orbs, even as her jaw remained locked tight with resolve. Her dislike of the situation could not be clearer. Strangely, the sight unsettled him and he immediately decided that it was pointless to prolong this, for as enjoyable as it was, it also suddenly felt degrading.

A moment later, he surrendered control and spilled with a muted gasp. As he attempted to calm his breathing, he was distracted by the sight of her shaking hand holding the transparent beaker filled with pale fluid. Placing the beaker in her pouch, she did not meet his gaze as she proceeded to return some strength to his body to allow him the capacity for minimum movement.

His heartbeat had barely returned to normal when she exited the cell quietly. Only then did he remember the plan he should have put in motion before he'd allowed himself to be so thoroughly distracted.

000

* * *

000

_What had she done?_

Oh, Kami, just how low would she sink before all this was over?

Sakura buried a fist in her mouth to muffle a scream as the stinging hot water from the shower head beat down on her. She could not believe she'd actually gone through what she'd done an hour ago. Later when she'd handed over the beaker, Danzou's reaction really sickened her. He looked so _pleased_ that she wanted nothing more than to punch a hole through his skull. She was supposed to be back in the hospital for the next few hours but instead, she'd headed home in an odd daze.

And speaking of reaction, the Uchiha's was the most mystifying one. Danzou had thought that he would balk at this but from what she could tell, that was certainly not the case. The memory of it made her cheeks burn in mortification. Uchiha Itachi had not bothered to resist at all and she could have sworn that he'd actually enjoyed what she'd done. In contrast, she'd barely managed to make herself continue molesting him. It would have been far easier if he had trashed and struggled instead of just sitting there _watching_ her. Fighting a physical battle against him was far simpler than something so _personal_.

It was sick, _sick, SICK!_

Groaning out loud, she turned off the shower and stepped out to dry herself. She could keep busy with hospital work to distract herself for the rest of the day but she couldn't imagine how she could face the Uchiha tomorrow, especially since Danzou expected it to be done again. It was the most humiliating thing she'd gone through in her entire career of being a kunoichi. Sure, every kunoichi learnt lots about these sorts of stuff once they turned sixteen but as far as she knew, Tsunade had never bothered to contract those kind of missions. Things had been theoretical only and unsupported by field experiences. Danzou obviously thought otherwise because over the past two years, she'd heard rumors about kunoichi being sent out for this specific purpose. Just not her. At least not until today.

A knock on her door sounded just as she reached out for her medic pouch.

She stilled and listened. Two rapid taps, a pause, then one tap before it repeated. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath and immediately rushed to the door, all her earlier concerns pushed to the back of her mind. The signal came very rarely and when she opened the door, it was to the sight of a chuunin medic fidgeting there. The girl was someone who'd been helping out at the hospital ever since her genin days and was someone Sakura could trust.

"Um… Haruno-san," Aiko said respectfully. "There's an emergency. You need to come."

Knowing what that meant, she wasted no time in rushing to the hospital. Aiko kept up beside her but remained silent, as if sensing that they were being watched.

When Sakura entered the operating room in the secured section designated for ANBU only, it was empty except for the figure on the gurney and an old nurse who'd been working there since long ago. Aiko placed herself in front of the door, casually guarding it. As a precaution, Sakura brought together her hands and cast a privacy enclosure around the room.

"Do you want him cleaned up now or later?" the nurse asked crisply.

"Later, Fuma-san."

Sakura bit her lips when she neared the patient, pulling on sterile gloves as she did so and trying hard not to think of what had happened the last time she'd got gloves on. Focus, Sakura, she chided herself. This was not the time to be distracted.

When she stopped beside him, she could see that one of his eyelids was swollen shut but the other seemed fine. One eye opened to stare at her with its customary lack of emotions.

"Hello," she greeted softly.

"U-Ugly…" he rasped weakly.

"What happened, Sai?" she whispered as she stroked the un-bruised side of his face. "You can speak freely. No one outside can hear us."

"As-Assassination m-mission," Sai tried to explain as he grimaced. "Mist… kage"

Sakura gasped in dismay. Of all things! The current Mizukage, Terumi Mei, had never hid the fact that she hated Danzou's guts. It was clearly suicidal to send someone to kill her. Sai stood no chance against a Kage. The only way it could make sense was that if Danzou was either testing Sai or trying to get rid of him.

The bastard!

"Don't worry," she told Sai soothingly. "I'll fix you up."

Clamping down on her distress, she slipped into medic mode and progressed to heal him. Hours passed as she sweated over his broken ribs, punctured lungs, relieved the pressure in his skull, set his dislocated shoulder and mend the crushed bones in his left leg.

"How did you get back?" she asked quietly.

"Ink… s-summons."

And no wonder his chakra was drained along with all his injuries if he'd travel such a distance on his ink creatures, Sakura thought, slumping wearily into a chair beside him. As she held his hand, the elderly nurse began to clean up the blood and started to change him. Sakura felt her heart constrict painfully as the bruises peppering his pale body were revealed. Once she rested a bit, she could get rid of those as well.

Reluctant to leave, she stroked his hand until he finally fell asleep. By then, she had recovered enough to heal the bruises as well. He would ache badly when he woke up but he was no longer in critical condition.

Turning to Aiko, she said, "Please administer a dose of morphine now, and in six hours."

The chuunin nodded and proceeded to prepare the first dose as Sakura watched. When she'd finished, the girl turned to her again. There was an odd look on the usually cheerful girl's face.

"It's probably not my place to say this, Haruno-san, but I need to tell someone."

Sakura raised a brow. "Go on."

"The paramedics found him near the border." As Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief, Aiko continued, "Apparently the border guards didn't even bother to call for help. Much later, an ANBU squad stumbled upon him accidentally and their field medic brought him back."

"What?" Sakura hissed, clenching her hands into tight fists.

Aiko said nothing else but Sakura could tell that she was angry. No one could openly criticize how Danzou ran things, after all. And her story only fed fuel to her suspicion that Danzou was _punishing_ Sai in some way. But what for?

"I'll make sure I include some of that into the report," Sakura said carefully. "Now let's go and leave Fuma-san to her work."

Fuma nodded at her with a small encouraging smile. "You look like you could do with some sleep, Haruno. I'll make sure he's placed in a secure room."

Sakura chuckled weakly. And with that she left the operating room. A quick glance at the nearby clock told her that it was far past the time for her to go home.

It was midnight by the time she left the hospital. As she dragged her tired body back down the streets, she could not help but wonder if this was how things would be from now on. Konoha used to be such an open, friendly place. Now, tension was high in the air everywhere she turned. It was hard to accept the kind of village Konoha had become.

Entering her home, she first confirmed that her protective wards were intact before she took another shower to remove Sai's blood. Only then did she flop onto her bed. Staring at the ceiling, she exhaled loudly. Now that Sai was stable, she still had the unresolved issue with Uchiha Itachi to deal with.

It was almost too much effort to think about Danzou's instructions but she knew that she had to. If extracting information proved to be fruitless, she was to return every day until she'd _harvested_ enough to fulfill Danzou's wish to create a squad of Sharingan-wielding shinobi. She would have to face Uchiha Itachi day after day, doing _that_, until she received instructions to send him to the appropriate department for the removal of his eyes and then potentially execute him.

The very thought of it made her feel ill.

Jackknifing up on her bed, she buried her fingers in her hair and pulled. The tiny pinpricks of pain did nothing to distract her. On one hand, she was aware that Uchiha Itachi deserved nothing but the worst fate for everything he'd done, but on the other hand, her interaction with him had taught her that he wasn't necessarily born a cruel killer. His mind was clearly warped from a young age by the circumstances surrounding him. Not that it excused his crimes, of course. She just didn't think it was right to abuse and use him and then execute him. It was wrong and no matter what anyone said, she knew that she would feel this way.

Something heavy settled in the pit of her stomach.

It was a matter of simply obeying Danzou's orders. But she knew that if she did it, she would lose something irreplaceable in herself. The whole idea was nauseating. After what she'd gone through today, she knew that she might as well kill herself if she was to continue in this manner. There was a limit to what she could force herself to do.

And she'd about reached it.

It was time to do something _else. _

000

* * *

000

He had procrastinated enough.

Itachi stared at the damp ceiling as he reviewed his strategy for tomorrow. He had every intention to progress with the next step of his plan the very next day when the kunoichi visited. She had not returned after their most interesting encounter, as he'd expected. Hours had passed since then and it was likely to be just pre-dawn about now. He had several more hours to pass.

Therefore, he was surprised when he sensed someone's approach.

When she entered the cell with her chakra suppressed and her mask obscuring her identity, there was an air about her that sent a warning spike through him. To his surprise, she executed a jutsu to bring up a mild, barely detectable privacy barrier. It was then that instinct told him that she was about to do something very stupid.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She did not meet his eyes – a telltale sign that she was uncomfortable, and Itachi could easily guess what it was. Wordlessly, she ran her glowing hands over his limbs and to his astonishment Itachi felt his strength return fully. Then gripping his hand, she dropped a nondescript watch on his palm. Comprehending her intentions immediately, he inwardly frowned in displeasure. This would not do.

Her tone was resolute when she informed him, "The guards will rotate in exactly an hour."

Before she could turn to walk away, he clamped his hand around her arm, halting her movements. "What are you doing?" he repeated in a harsher tone.

"I think it's quite clear," she said in a strained voice.

"Assisting in an escape, yes. Why?"

Through the mask, her eyes were large with bewilderment as she looked back at him. "What? You want to stay here? You want us to continue the abuse?"

His grip tightened around her left arm and she winced. So many thoughts were swirling in his mind, but the most startling one stood out. "Foolish kunoichi. Should I escape, you will be their primary suspect."

"And so what? Like you care," she snapped impatiently. "Stop wasting time and let me go!"

"Why?" he asked again flatly.

She averted her face. "This is wrong."

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Disapproving of the way her face was concealed from his view, he reached out and pulled down her porcelain mask. She tried to push him away, but her gestures were only half-hearted at best. Now that her face was visible, Itachi found himself objecting to the unmistakable expression of self-loathing on it.

In an even tone, he asked, "Exactly _what_ do you think is wrong?"

"Do you really have to ask?" she grimaced.

"I assume you're referring to your actions yesterday?"

Not answering, she kept her face averted.

Idiotic girl. "This method of gaining bloodline limits from reluctant clans is nothing extraordinary," he told her blandly. "Some even consider it a standard procedure."

Still not meeting his gaze, she shook her head violently, resolutely. "I just can't do this anymore."

There was an odd, edgy feeling stirring within him. Irked, he reached out and gripped her chin to force her to meet his eyes. "A kunoichi would do what is necessary. It seemed that I overestimated your potential. I didn't expect you to be _running scared_. You disappoint me, kunoichi."

Attempting to jerk away, she spat, "Stop calling me that! You know fully well what my name is."

He released her chin. "Very well, Haruno."

"I've got to go."

No, not yet. But perhaps he could give her what she wanted on his own terms. With that thought, he said, "Not until you finish a certain task."

She gave him a wary look. "What are you talking about?"

"You need to kill me."

Bright green eyes stared at him in disbelief. Inclining his head at her kunai pouch, he gave her a meaningful look. However, when she failed to respond, he expelled an impatient sigh.

"Perhaps you require some encouragement."

In a flash, he slammed her hard against the stone wall with a forearm pressing against her throat, drawing a pained gasp from her. Even with her entire body trapped between the wall and his own body, she should be able to move if she tried hard enough. Her fingers dug into his arm and he knew that at any moment, she could channel chakra into those digits and blow his arm and his body apart. However, she made no move to do so. The delay _irritated_ him.

Tilting closer, he hissed, "You're being too _nice_ to me, Haruno."

The unmistakable swirl of guilt in her eyes truly riled him. Needing to remove the deplorable expression from her face, he kept contact with her eyes as he deliberately ran his free hand up the side of her thigh to the dip between her breasts. Her body immediately went rigid in shock, causing him to smirk inwardly.

"Stop it," she hissed.

"Hm?" he murmured as he drew his hand down past her navel. "Perhaps you're waiting for me to return the favor?" he taunted.

Her expression hardened immediately.

Shifting his hand to slide appreciatively along the curve of her hip, he pressed hard against her, letting her feel her effect on him. "Perhaps you've forgotten who I am?"

"No," she growled low.

Determination had finally replaced that lost, remorseful, _weakness _in her, he noted with approval. When she swiftly gathered chakra to her hands, he almost smiled. She would expect him to avoid the chakra surge. The strength she'd returned to him made sure that he was fully capable of doing so. Her expression warned him that he would regret it if he didn't release her.

When all he did was tightened his grip in challenge, her teeth ground together and her chakra exploded from her fingers. The last thing he saw was a horrified pair of green eyes before everything dimmed to black.

000

* * *

000

When Itachi returned to consciousness, it was to the sight of a blond jinchuuriki sprawled across the tatami mat not far from him. The fox-whiskered face turned to him as the younger nin sat up. Muted sunshine streamed through the window behind him, informing Itachi that dawn was approaching.

"Everything okay?" Naruto asked cautiously.

Itachi inclined his head as he straightened to his feet from the futon, feeling his muscles protest and his head throb. Several days of maintaining the jutsu tended to do that. He was also very hungry, another predictable side effect of the technique. This must be the longest stretch he'd managed to maintain it. It was certainly much longer than when he'd been working for Akatsuki. But then again, Pein had been driving the technique and he hadn't had the enhancement from the bijuu back then.

"The message has been delivered."

Naruto's eyes gleamed with approval. "Did you get the confirmation?"

"Received."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "That's good. It's impossible for any of us or our summons to enter Konoha ever since Danzou put up those identification wards. It had been easier before. Did they…" He gestured a hand up and down his body before continuing, "…do anything to you?"

The image of the kunoichi's hand circling him immediately came to mind, but Itachi kept his expression impassive when he answered, "Nothing significant."

"They didn't torture you, did they?" Naruto asked, looking concerned.

"They decided not to."

After a small pause, Naruto added, "I heard that you were taken in by Haruno Sakura."

"Aa."

"How is she?"

Itachi quirked a brow and deliberately stated, "I'm not sure I understand."

The younger nin gave him an irritable look. "Is she well? Have you seen her since she dropped you off with Danzou?"

A smirk made its way to Itachi's lips. If only Naruto knew. He had a feeling that the blond would not approve of what his teammate had done. It was truly regrettable that after all her work, all Danzou received was the useless seed of a low level rogue nin from Grass. The old man should comprehend what had transpired when he found the unfamiliar dead body in the cell.

"So, what is it?" Naruto prompted somewhat impatiently.

"She was tasked to extract information from me. As we discussed, I'm only able to impart the barest information."

"You know nothing more anyway." A chuckle left his lips, but there was a wistful tone in the younger man's voice when he said, "I'm guessing Sakura didn't take that too well, huh?"

"She was persistent."

Grinning, Naruto agreed, "Yeah, she sure could be. So, you didn't answer me. How is she?"

"She appears to be well."

The younger nin nodded slowly. "But she can't be happy that you gave her a hard time."

"She's quite capable of handling it."

"I guess. It was really surprising when I found out that Danzou made her an ANBU." Naruto drew his brows together thoughtfully. "I still don't like the idea. When I left, she wasn't even a jounin yet."

"It's not a requirement for one to achieve jounin status before being drafted as an ANBU."

Naruto sighed. "I know, I know. Tsunade-baa-chan explained it all. ANBU are chosen by the Kage for their individual capabilities and special skills. She doesn't need to be a jounin to be picked, but what I'm saying is that she'd never been that type. We were in a chuunin team together and our missions might be difficult but they're fairly standard stuff. She hates things like assassination missions but ANBU tends to be assigned missions where targets end up being tortured and killed."

Itachi didn't know what to make of this diatribe. As far as he could tell, Haruno Sakura was competent enough to fulfill her role, despite her occasional displays of temper. The fact that she'd repeatedly failed to capture him was irrelevant, for he doubted that _any_ other ANBU was capable of doing so.

"Anyway," Naruto exhaled and looked at him before continuing, "I hope she's coping with things there. Did you drop any names? My name?"

"No."

Shrugging, Naruto said, "I'm sure Danzou can guess anyway. He expects those loyal to Tsunade to launch an attack at some point. The security around Konoha is so ridiculously tight nowadays that we can't think of any other way to get a message through." He frowned. "It's too bad that the Grass nin has to die, though."

"Collateral damage."

"Tsk." Naruto gave him a sharp look. "I know it's necessary but it's hard to think like that sometimes."

"You're soft."

Red flashed in Naruto's eyes briefly, and then he sighed. "Not as much as before."

"Hn." After a pause, he asked, "Where is Kisame?"

There was a knowing look in Naruto's expression, but he acquiesced, "He's helping with some suiton techniques not far away."

"The rest?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, it's probably best that you don't know about that," he said sheepishly.

It was wise of Naruto not to divulge information freely, Itachi admitted. It didn't matter either way, he supposed. He had very little interest in the specifics as long as the plan succeeded ultimately. His prize, when it came, would be worth the support he agreed to lend this little organization until Konoha's leadership fell to Naruto.

"Say, remember what we discussed about your fees?"

Itachi slanted him a warning look. "Is there a problem?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not really. Your chakra levels are more than fine. But when Kyuubi and I were checking through your body to make sure you can physically take it, something jumped out at us."

Intrigued, Itachi gave him a questioning look.

Naruto took a breath and said, "Someone played around with your head."

000

* * *

000

A/N: This wasn't an easy chapter to write. There was one particular issue that made me nervous about writing and posting it (guess which one...), but that scene wouldn't leave me. I hope I managed to convey the right things. Comments are welcomed...

:elle6778:


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and commenting, and I hope that people are happy to read on...

* * *

**The Butterfly - -Chapter 5 - by elle6778**

Communicating with Naruto could sometimes be truly vexing.

Someone had played around with his head?

Itachi could only surmise that Naruto had encountered something unexpected in the course of his assessment. The notion that his mind was being tampered with was disturbing, and he immediately ran an inspection to see if there were any irregularities. However, his brief exploration left him with no answers. As far as he could tell, there was nothing _anomalous_ with the way his mind was working. He would be able to discern if something unwanted was there.

Keeping his expression completely impassive, Itachi probed, "Perhaps you could clarify your statement?"

Looking suspiciously discomfited, the blond said, "It felt like something in your mind is wired… wrong."

Itachi called for patience in the face of Naruto's obscure response. After all, it would not do to kill the one who'd agreed to instruct him in the nature of Sage Mode should this plan to remove Danzou succeeded. Still, it felt as if Naruto knew more than he was saying, even though the blond was not prepared to reveal everything just yet. What was most intriguing was the fact that Naruto was dropping these hints, as if he wanted him to find out on his own.

"Is it a physical condition or not?" Itachi queried.

Naruto shook his head, but his gaze was intent. "Maybe it's something like a genjutsu. Don't you feel anything? Maybe a medic nin could check things out."

Perfect, Itachi thought drily. He'd just removed himself from one of the most proficient medic nins in the Land of Fire. Idly, he wondered how she was handling the emergence of the true identity of her captive. Danzou would no doubt be most displeased by their failure to capture an Uchiha.

"There are a couple of medics in hiding with us," Naruto offered. "Shall I put you in touch with them?"

Itachi shook his head once. "I will seek one out myself."

Naruto looked at him thoughtfully, and then shrugged. "So, I've been meaning to ask you something. How often can you do this?"

"This?"

"The…" Naruto waved a hand about before continuing, "The shape shifting thing."

"_Shouten-no-jutsu,"_ Itachi informed him. "Once my chakra is fully restored, I would be able to use the technique again. However, I would like to resolve the personal issue you've highlighted first."

"That's fine." Naruto cast him a questioning look. "When will be a good time to catch up again?"

"In no more than a week."

That should allow him sufficient time to get an understanding of what had happened to his mind. Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps Naruto had only sensed what he'd long suspected but never confirmed.

The blond jumped to his feet and stretched. "Great! You know how to find me. If I don't hear from you, I'll be back in a week."

And with that, Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Itachi to his own devices.

Knowing that he needed sustenance, he made his way out of the room to the small kitchen at the back of the house. He doubted that he could find anything substantial, but to his surprise, there was a stack of cup ramen and tins of food. He frowned a little. As these were not the usual fare Kisame would procure, he could only surmise that Naruto had provided them.

The fleeting thought that Pein would never _spoil_ them in this manner crossed his mind, swiftly followed by the sudden image of his mother leaving food out for him so that once he returned from his ANBU mission in the middle of the night, he would have something to eat. The recollection made him feel a little strange and his head throbbed a little. It occurred to Itachi that this wasn't by any means the first time in recent days that he was assaulted by this odd sensation of not being able to place his finger on _something_.

Combined with Naruto's little observation followed by his suspicious behavior earlier, Itachi was beginning to suspect that perhaps something was amiss.

The urge to leave and commence his search for a solution was strong. However, he knew that despite his large reserve of chakra, the three-day-long jutsu had taken its toll. He estimated that his chakra level was down to less than a third, and therefore needed to be replenished.

It did not take long to prepare the food and consume it. After that, he reinforced the wards around the property and then went to sleep.

He woke up later, instantly alert at the presence of another person in the house. A quick inspection told him that he had slept through the day and that his chakra level was now full. It was time for him to make a move.

A single tap on the shoji screen sounded. "Itachi," Kisame called out.

With a swift push, he stood up and went to pull the screen open. "Kisame," he greeted.

Samehada slung over his shoulder, Kisame queried, "It went well?"

Itachi nodded.

Kisame grinned. "You don't fail at anything, do you?"

Evidently he'd failed to realize that his mind had been tampered with, Itachi thought darkly. "I am going out."

"Eh? What for?"

"There's a matter I must settle."

"Need help?"

"That would not be necessary."

Kisame nodded, unsurprised. Turning away, he walked down the hallway and called out over his shoulder, "I'm going to catch some sleep."

Itachi only paused long enough to drink a cup of tea before he walked out. Once he was standing outside the house, he scanned his surroundings. The timber dwelling was set deep in the Fire Country forest south of the border with Waterfall Country, and was used only by him and Kisame. Itachi knew that this was not the only hideout utilized by Naruto's group. Being hunted had clearly taught the blond caution and the need to spread out to avoid pooling all his resources in one place.

He thought of his next steps. The choices of medic nins were limited, as it was one of those professions that required a certain inborn ability. A medic nin who would do his bidding voluntarily was even more limited. And he refused to allow one he didn't _know_ anywhere near his head.

A certain image sprang to mind and stayed. She was arguably the only medic nin he was familiar with. Notwithstanding her repeated attempts to kill him in the past, her treatment of his injury during his short stay in the Konoha holding cell and the fact that she'd foolishly attempted to release him made her the obvious choice.

It was settled then. He would _borrow_ her briefly from Konoha. Still, the question remained if she would actually be willing to assist him.

Speculation achieved nothing, he decided.

With a few efficient moves of his fingers, a murder of crow materialized. Wordlessly, he communicated his wishes and dark wings sped towards the east. He followed on foot at a more sedate pace.

Several hours later, he was cloaked in the darkness of the trees ten miles outside the boundary walls of Konoha. He could sense the presence of ANBU and ANBU Root all around him. The last time he'd been brought here, the body he'd occupied had been unconscious and had been unable to assess the area. This time, he could see that Naruto was correct about the security. He did not recall this level of patrol, even during his younger days when war raged between the nations.

If nothing else, Danzou understood just how precarious his position was. The wily old man surrounded himself with his loyal Root operatives, and Itachi understood from Naruto that the Leaf nins only continued to obey for the sake of the safety of their clans and friends. Danzou governed with fear, something Itachi found reprehensible.

The appearance of his crows broke into his contemplations. They confirmed what he wished to know but the information meant that his initial plans required modification. He could not help but marvel at the irony of the situation. The question was, what should he do? A subtle entry, or a less-than-subtle entry?

Recalling their 'ramen' agreement, Itachi smirked as he cloaked himself and stealthily made his way to the tall boundary wall. Trees swished by as he leapt from one branch to another. None of the ANBU detected his presence, he observed with equal amounts of scorn and amusement. His pink-haired pursuer would have caught up to him by now if she'd been on patrol.

His destination was not an unfamiliar one, therefore once he was within the boundary it was a matter of two consecutive transportation jutsu before he found himself blocked by the wards just outside the abandoned cells. He fed chakra to his Sharingan to intensify its power and the stark black lines crawling over the door and the surrounding stone walls emerged. The familiarity of the seal made him wonder at the complacency of the Konoha's security team. Then again, perhaps no one realized that he'd quietly obtained the means of access to all areas of Konoha during his days in Konoha as a double agent.

The complicated series of seals he performed unraveled the locks and the next thing he knew, he was in the corridor. Alerted to his presence, two ANBU guards reacted but not swiftly enough to stop him. It took only a Sharingan-induced genjutsu to bring them down.

Even though there were cells on each side of the corridor ahead, only one was occupied and he made his way there. Unlocking the door, he entered silently and his attention immediately focused on the unconscious figure clad only in a mesh top and regulation pants shackled to the wall in the exact same way he'd been just a few days ago. Ironically, it was even the same cell.

In a flash, he stood before her with her chin grasped in his fingers, forcing her to look up. Dusky pink lashes fluttered to reveal a pair of unfocussed green eyes while he took note that her chakra had been completely drained, something that she'd failed to do to him while he'd been their captive.

"Haruno," he called out firmly. "Focus."

The bleariness in those orbs cleared rapidly and he was suddenly subjected to a disbelieving stare as she gasped.

"W-What…" Her gaze darted around quickly before returning to him. "You're alive. What are you doing here? That dead body…" she broke off into a confused frown.

"We need to leave," he told her as he began to pulse chakra into the shackles. It would not take long for someone to discover that the guards had been incapacitated. He would rather be far from Konoha by then. Fighting a number of worthless, over-enthusiastic Leaf nins did not appeal to him.

There was a brief pause, and then she gasped aloud. "No!"

He stilled and slanted a glance at her panicked expression. What was this irrationality? Impatience coursed through him as he repeated sternly, "We will leave. Now."

She shook her head so violently that the shackles rattled. "I told you no! I can't go!"

Narrowing his eyes in displeasure, he pronounced, "It's not a request. We are leaving."

Eyes flashing in defiance, she snarled, "Are you crazy? You can do whatever the hell you want to but I'm not going anywhere, and certainly not with you!"

It occurred to him then that her reaction was utterly ridiculous for someone who was unwillingly detained. Unless that wasn't the case. Nevertheless, he was not giving her the option. Time was of the essence. He required a medic and she was the suitable one.

His tomoe twirled rapidly as he boosted chakra to it, knowing that nothing but the highest level would have any effect on her. She gasped as she attempted the futility of activating her own Sharingan to counteract his. As predicted, her black tomoe remained dormant without the necessary chakra to feed them. While one hand continued to grip her chin, his other hand went up to force her eyelid open.

"Don't do this!" she cried out as she tried to look away. "Please! I beg you, don't do this!"

Just as his technique took hold and caused her entire body to slump bonelessly, the fleeting thought that this was the first time she'd _begged_ him crossed his mind. In their past encounters, she'd never displayed such weakness regardless of the violence she'd suffered at his hands. What was so important that she'd chosen to lower herself in this manner?

Returning his attention to the immediate matter at hand, he unshackled her, hefted her slender form over a shoulder and proceeded to execute the required transportation technique to bring them outside the walls. A couple of wide-range genjutsu cast from his perch on the leafy tree canopy made sure that no one would notice their departure. Then he swiftly ran the entire distance back to the house, only diverting often enough to lay false trails along the way as a precautionary measure. As he'd made sure that she remained unconscious throughout the journey, he made the trip in silence.

His entry into the building with the burden on his shoulder did not go unnoticed by Kisame.

The Mist nin raised a black brow. "This is surprising," he commented as he took in the unconscious form. "I didn't expect you to come back with a woman. Have you finally decided that you actually like them?"

"I have need of her skills," Itachi said by way of explanation.

Kisame snorted, and then peered closely. "That pink hair… She's the Godaime Hokage's medic apprentice, isn't she?" A thoughtful gleam entered his black eyes. "Health problems?"

Itachi chose not to respond. When he'd suffered from illness and was steadily losing his eyesight in the past, Kisame had known about it. The Mist nin had also been there when Itachi had absorbed a portion of the Gedo statue's power just before the instability of the extracted bijuu power caused it to fail and in doing so, brought a much-welcomed regeneration of his body.

"Itachi."

Kisame's cautionary tone made him pause on the way to his room. Glancing back, he murmured, "Is there something you require?"

"This kunoichi close to Uzumaki. His precious person, in his words."

"Aa."

"He's not going to be happy if anything happens to her." Kisame stared away into the distance. "I'd rather not piss him off. That kid is in a league of his own."

A curt incline of his head was Itachi's only response. He understood Kisame's inference. As strange as it sounded considering their history, at the moment, the Uzumaki boy was effectively their employer. However, Itachi had given his word to not harm the blond's friends, and that includes the kunoichi. Unless she behaved foolishly, he did not foresee a problem.

The progress to his bedroom was unhindered this time, and once inside Itachi lowered the kunoichi to the futon. Satisfied that he obtained the means to solve his problem, he pressed his chakra-loaded fingers against her temples, sat back against the wall and waited.

It took less than a minute for her to wake up and when she did, her eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. She glanced wildly around her, gradually growing more agitated. Itachi found it _entertaining_ to watch fury saturate her entire form as she realized the position she was in.

"You have no idea what you've done!" she finally shrieked, stomping childishly on the tatami mat.

The urge to rub his ears were strong but he refrained from doing so. Impassively, he asked, "Perhaps you wish to enlighten me."

Uncertainty mingled with fear and anger in the depths of her eyes. "I need to go back to Konoha."

He realized something then. "What is Danzou holding over you?"

Pain and regret flickered over her expression before she turned away from him to pace the room. "It's none of your business."

"I may be more inclined to be more generous if I'm in possession of the facts."

The pacing halted and when she faced him, her indecision was clear. As he waited silently for her to consider the situation, he ran a cursory scan over her body. Apart from being nearly empty on chakra, she did not appear to be worse for wear. Perhaps Danzou hadn't begun the interrogation process yet.

Finally, in a shaky voice, she told him, "My parents are civilians. They know nothing about the politics of the village and they're in no way involved in any aspect of my job." She took a deep breath before continuing, "Danzou never actually said it out loud, but he'd hinted that any _misbehavior_ on my part would result in a disruption to their lives."

So that was what it was. It explained why she remained in Konoha while the rest of those most loyal to the previous Hokage and unaffiliated with a clan had defected the moment they found an opportunity. She could not leave for the fear of her parents' safety. While he was of the opinion that she could have chosen a wiser route than to simply obey Danzou, he understood why she'd done so.

As for him, this opportunity was too good to dismiss.

"I propose a trade," he said.

His abrupt offer appeared to shock her. She stared incredulously at him and then suddenly, her expression was nothing short of disgusted. "The last time we had a _deal_, I got nothing from you."

"You asked the wrong questions," he pointed out, completely unfazed.

Her temper getting the better of her, she snapped, "But you _knew_ what I wanted to know. You deliberately deceived me."

"If I recall correctly, I was the prisoner. It's your prerogative to apply whatever action necessary to make me talk. Do not blame your incompetence on me." A spike of something drove him to continue, "Perhaps if you'd persevered with your _seduction_, then I might have told you more."

Her lips parted in shock and to his amusement, her cheeks reddened. Averting her eyes, she snapped, "We're not talking about that!"

"Was it so unpleasant?" he taunted.

"Shut up! We're not discussing it." And then she pinned a hard look on him. "And worse than that, you made me kill some innocent Grass nin."

Itachi raised a brow. "He was hardly innocent."

"So you say."

"You may believe what you wish."

She glared at him. "Whatever you say, I'm not doing any more deals with you."

"You would foolishly dismiss this proposal even without knowing the details?" he asked, allowing a note of disapproval to seep through. "Even if it concerns your parents?"

"Leave my parents out of this! I told you, they're just civilians!"

"They may be civilians, but whether you like it or not, they're involved."

She lowered her eyes but not before he saw the shimmer of guilt in them. The kunoichi was far too emotional for her own good. This was her primary weakness, he realized. It also made her _interesting, _not that he approved of it.

"Just let me go, and we can all forget about this," she said.

"No. There is something I require from you," he stated, growing increasingly impatient with the exchange.

A derisive snort preceded her words. "You've lost your mind if you think I'm going to help you."

Ignoring her declaration, he went on, "I require a certain medical inspection, something rather specialized. If you agree to do this, I will relocate your parents to a safer place."

Her gaze shot up in surprise. She stared at him for a long while before she asked cautiously, "What medical inspection?"

"To locate a certain anomaly."

"So, you won't ask me to fix anything even if I find something wrong?"

He smiled humorlessly. She was clearly adverse to the idea of providing any help to him. "No. Not as part of this agreement." It wouldn't be difficult to find something else to barter with later, after all.

She nodded absently, and then, "Hypothetically speaking, removing my parents from harm is not sufficient. Danzou would simply hunt them down."

"I have access to secured properties."

"How long can they stay there?"

Considering that none of those properties was occupied, he shrugged carelessly. "As long as they please."

She appeared to be weighing his words. "How would I know you won't harm them? How would I know if they would be adequately protected?"

He nearly sneered at her choice of words. Protection was not something he provided. He was simply holding her parents as collateral to ensure that she did not entertain any foolish ideas of incapacitating him during the medical inspection.

"They will not be harmed."

000

* * *

000

It was tempting.

Hell, it was the most tempting thing she'd heard in the last few years.

So why wasn't she jumping to accept? Simple. Because she did not trust Uchiha Itachi. She was not stupid enough to think that it was as simple as some medical inspection. He would want more and she could not afford to drag her parents into yet another mess. At least with Danzou she knew what to expect. Uchiha Itachi was completely unpredictable. She could not expect him to think like a _normal_ person. It was just too much of a risk, trusting her parents' lives in his hands.

"No," she finally said.

He did not react in any way except to murmur, "Pardon?"

"I said no," she repeated in a firmer tone.

"Why? Are the terms unsatisfactory?"

She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Do not insult me."

Exhaling loudly, she said, "Look. Family might not be important to you, but they're everything to me."

His expression became shuttered. "You know nothing of me and my family. In any case, it has nothing to do with your situation. I offered you a practical solution to your problem in exchange for aid."

She shook her head. "All I'm saying is that I can't stand the thought of any threat near them. The plan is too risky and there are too many uncertainties. I don't want to put them in any kind of danger."

Displeasure flashed across his face. "I've given my word that they will not be harmed."

She shrugged, not really wanting to say out loud that she did not trust him. He'd probably figured it out anyway, if he was the genius everyone said he was.

"You're being foolish."

"Are you really that surprised by my answer?" she threw back.

"Your position in Konoha is now compromised. What is the point in returning only to face persecution?"

"And whose fault is that?!" she accused heatedly. "You should've left me there when I asked you to!"

"Casting blame will not help you now. You may wish to reconsider your foolish insistence on returning to Konoha. It is unwise and would achieve nothing."

Her eyes narrowed at the ring of truth in his words. "I don't care. I'll just have to deal with it when it happens."

She had to convince Danzou that Uchiha Itachi had kidnapped her to heal an injury or something but she managed to escape. Easy. Whether Danzou believed her or not was a moot point. If she was _there_ in Konoha, he was less likely to think that she was betraying him and hopefully, her parents would remain safe.

What could possibly go wrong?

"How long have I been out of Konoha?" she asked, wondering if she could get back before anyone found out.

"A few hours."

A finger of dread crawled down her spine. "They would know that I'm missing by now."

"Indeed."

And Danzou might have already gone for her parents. Her sense of panic intensified with every second. "I need to get back there," she proclaimed as she stood up to walk to the door, only to find him blocking her path. Eyes narrowing, she snapped, "Move!"

Leaning casually against the door, he pronounced, "You're not allowed to leave."

Glaring at his stoic face, she reached out to stab a finger in his chest, not caring if she was offending him. She was in so much trouble now because of this little stunt he'd decided to pull. She wasn't in the mood to be polite.

In an uncompromising tone, she snarled, "Listen well, _genius_. There are medic-nins in every ninja village. I'm sure you can find one to help you. You're not getting any kind of medical help from me. Now you can either let me walk out of here and we can both forget about this, or I will just have to fight my way out."

Firmly pushing her finger away, he decreed arrogantly, "You cannot defeat me."

Indignant fury washed over her. "You want to bet?" she yelled, slamming her bare fist against the door just beside his head and feeling the wood crack.

He raised a mocking brow. "We're not alone here. Are you willing to fight me as well as Kisame at the same time? With your pitiful supply of chakra?"

A stab of dismay made her falter when she detected the other presence. Damn it! Her chakra level was definitely not enough for a decent fight although it was steadily increasing. Still, even if it was at full capacity, she was not stupid enough to think that she could take on _both_ of them and come out on top. But what the hell? She had to leave. She couldn't just _stay_ here and leave her parents there. Kami knew what Danzou was thinking of doing to them now.

Her head began to throb.

"Shall I propose a further enticement?" he asked silkily, leaning forward slightly.

Wariness made her tense, but she refused to back away. "What do you mean?"

"My earlier offer still stands. In addition, I wish for you to provide a single course of full medical assistance when I request it. In-"

Eyes widening at his audacity, she interjected, "Are you _deaf_? I said I'm not helping you!"

His expression turned stony. "Please refrain from interrupting."

She gritted her teeth. "Spit it out, then."

"In exchange for this additional promise, I will put you in touch with Uzumaki Naruto."

She froze. _Naruto? What? How…_

She couldn't have heard him right. "W-What are you saying? _Stop LYING!_"

His fingers suddenly fisted around the front of her mesh top and her breath hitched as he brought his face close to hers in a blatant show of intimidation. She ground her teeth together as she glared at his perfectly bland expression, refusing to show any other reaction even though their proximity unnerved her like she couldn't believe.

_He had to be lying. _

"Do not offend me again," he murmured so close that she could feel his warm clean breath on her face.

"I don't believe-"

Her words broke off when he reversed their position and slammed her against the wall. The redness of his eyes was the only sign of his displeasure, and in reaction, she flared her own brand of Sharingan, ignoring the sting and the blaring warning that her chakra was still low.

"I did not lie," he intoned flatly.

She swallowed hard when he finally released his grip. Her Sharingan detected only truth when he'd said he did not lie. As incredible as it sounded, that meant that he actually could get in contact with Naruto. She was finding it hard to come to grips with the fact that Uchiha Itachi, ex-Akatsuki, was in contact with Naruto. The very same Naruto that Danzou had been trying to hunt down all this time? How was she supposed to believe this?

"If you're not lying…" He cut her a sharp look but said nothing as she continued, "Then how is it that you know where he is? Last I checked, you're not exactly friends. And he has to be laying low because Danzou couldn't find him."

He smirked slightly. "You're not thinking it through, kunoichi."

And then it hit her. "Wait…" she whispered tremulously as comprehension dawned. "This organization you're involved in… It's Naruto's isn't it?"

He confirmed with a single nod. But it was enough to send such a myriad of emotions through her that she found herself choking in half-sob, half-laughter. Kami, Naruto was alive and Naruto was planning an attack and Naruto had ex-Akatsuki as his back-up. So many things were running across her mind that she could hardly breathe for the overload of information.

"Your decision?" he prompted.

His cold voice made her jump and when she looked up, he made it clear that he was growing tired of waiting for an answer. What he'd just revealed changed things drastically. She might not trust him, but if Naruto trusted him enough…

She took a deep breath and said, "Yes. We have a deal."

There was no mistaking the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, and Sakura couldn't help but wonder if she'd made the right choice.

000

000

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed the chapter. Unlike the previous one, this was a lot easier to write. Probably because Itachi and Sakura pretty much spent the entire time arguing... :P ... As always, I'd love to get some comments from you.

:elle6778:


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Another update here! Thanks for your comments - my muse and I loved them.

* * *

**The Butterfly - -Chapter 6 - by elle6778**

"Certainly not."

It was an understatement to say that Itachi was astonished by her demand. One of the core regulations of their profession was that one should not be involved in a mission if there was a significant personal stake. Extricating one's parents from under a tyrannical leader's watch undoubtedly fell firmly under this category. Whilst he always viewed those regulations as a form of guidance rather than an unbreakable law, it was prudent to conform to this one.

Completely disregarding common sense, the kunoichi glared at him defiantly. In response, he let his gaze travel languidly down her form, knowing that it would further incense her. Earlier, she'd summoned a slug to retrieve some belongings and now she was once again dressed in the impractical attire of red vest and skirt with skin-tight shorts instead of her ANBU uniform. His perusal lingered at her knee-high boots and wondered if her vanity was interfering with her good judgment. It did not mean that he was in any way _interested_ in how the heeled boots made her posture curve in an eye-catching manner.

"What do you think you are looking at?" she hissed.

He raised a brow. "Am I not allowed to?"

"You know what I mean! And don't change the subject." She inhaled deeply before she continued, "They're my parents, so I'm going in with you."

"Do not make me repeat myself," he warned, swiftly losing patience.

"Why are we wasting time arguing about this?" she cried out, throwing her arms up in the air. "It's better that we go together than you sneaking into Konoha alone. How are you going to escape with _two_ civilians?"

The sound of throat clearing beyond the shoji screen made the kunoichi spin around, wide-eyed. Itachi was only too pleased by the interruption. This conversation with the kunoichi was infuriating enough that he was beginning to reconsider this agreement.

"Come in, Kisame," Itachi invited. And when the Mist nukenin entered, he murmured, "Perfect timing. I presume you've heard enough to understand the situation?"

"Aa."

The kunoichi regarded Kisame warily. Her distrust of them seemed to be her only laudable shinobi trait, he surmised drily. The rest of her personality was tinted with an aggravating abundance of emotion completely unsuitable for their profession.

Directing his attention to her, Itachi announced, "Kisame will provide the necessary backup."

"Then it's better that _three_ of us go, right?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed in ire. Was she being deliberately obtuse?

"Hey, little princess. What Itachi here is saying is that you're a liability in that situation. You don't look as if you can keep your cool if something bad happens to your parents."

"_Nothing_ bad had better happen to my parents," she hissed in warning.

Kisame raised a brow. "Then just stay here like a good little kunoichi while we get your parents out of Konoha."

She frowned deeply. "I know what you mean, but-"

"Do not underestimate us," Itachi cut in curtly. It was pointless to continue the debate. "We will return before dawn."

Ignoring her protests, he walked out of the room. He heard Kisame warn her not to follow as he crossed to the front of the house. They had wasted too much time disagreeing, and he was growing increasingly annoyed by the kunoichi's refusal to be sensible. Or perhaps she simply found it easier to oppose his every step, considering their history of violence.

Shortly afterwards, his partner joined him outside the house and asked, "You know where we're going?"

Itachi nodded once. "I recognize her description of the house."

"Let's get this over with then."

Cloaked in the darkness of the night, he and Kisame made their way swiftly through the forest of Fire Country. Her parents lived in the civilian sector just outside the core of Konoha's central ring, an area typically patrolled by chuunin. Under normal circumstances, it would be easy to extract them. However, considering the situation, it was likely that Danzou had placed heavier guard rotations over them or perhaps had even moved them to another location. Furthermore, there was the issue of the security wards around Konoha. As he'd been captured and brought in, the wards now recognized his signature so he could enter, but Kisame was unable to do so and had to remain outside the walls. Idly, he wondered if the wards would alert the authorities once he crossed the boundary. He supposed it only meant that he would have to work faster.

Soundlessly, Itachi moved swiftly through the shadows until he reached his destination. His suspicions were confirmed when instead of chuunin patrolling the area, he caught sight of several ANBU in the vicinity. ANBU typically did not patrol civilian streets. Once he'd cast an area-wide genjutsu around the house, he broke in through the living room window. As he made his way towards the stairs, he took note of the pictures gracing the walls. Most of them were of the pink-haired kunoichi, chronicling her life from newborn to adulthood. He had a brief recollection that his own mother had done the same in his childhood home.

But as always, the moment they appeared, he immediately pushed those away.

Focusing fully on his task, he climbed the stairs and made his way to the occupied bedroom. Silently, he entered to find his targets sound asleep. Civilians were as innocent as newborns and just as fragile, Itachi thought fleetingly as he leaned down and in rapid moves, pressed his fingers against their pressure points to ensure that they remained unconscious. It would be unwise to expect them to keep up, so they would have to be carried out.

Even though he knew that a transportation jutsu would alert the guards, Itachi brought his hands together and went through the string of seals before grasping the two sleeping bodies. In moments, he was outside the wall.

He inclined his head at Kisame. Understanding his unspoken instruction, his partner lifted the larger of the two forms, leaving Itachi to support the kunoichi's mother. Before long, they were moving away from the boundary walls, unhindered. Itachi could not help but marvel at the deplorable state of Konoha's security.

However, no sooner than the thought had crossed his mind, the air around them changed and they found himself facing a squad of four Root operatives.

"Surrender," the leader demanded.

Itachi exchanged a look with a grinning Kisame as they simultaneously lowered their loads.

And then they charged.

000

* * *

000

Sakura paced up and down the small living room anxiously. They had been gone for hours and she was growing increasingly edgy at the lack of news. Had they been able to find her parents in her childhood home? Or had Danzou already done something to them?

She buried her fingers in her hair as she sank down on a flat cushion. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Maybe she should have just gone back to Konoha and face the consequences. She would rather be punished than allow her parents to come to any harm. But that probably wouldn't work either. Uchiha Itachi wanted something from her and from what she could tell, he wasn't the type to give in. He would find another way to get what he needed from her for sure.

She had to stay positive. This was probably her best chance of getting her parents out of Konoha. It sure wasn't something she could pull off on her own.

Suddenly sensing something approaching, she straightened to her feet and rushed to the door to yank it open.

She brought her hands to her lips to stifle a gasp when four figures same into her line of sight. They'd done it. Kisame was carrying her father on his back and Itachi had her mother on his. A choked sob broke from her throat as she rushed towards them.

"You did it," she exclaimed tearfully.

Itachi slanted an arrogant look at her, but said nothing while Kisame snorted loudly.

She could hardly believe her eyes as she followed the two men into the living area where they deposited her sleeping parents on the tatami mat. The Uchiha immediately departed to his room while Kisame sprawled into a relaxed position close to the door, as if he was keeping guard.

Exhilaration mixed with gratefulness rushed over Sakura as she knelt beside her parents, automatically running her glowing hands over them to make sure they were unharmed. She was so happy to see them that she could cry.

"Don't start with the waterworks."

She turned to scowl at the Mist nukenin. "It's none of your business."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm getting nothing out of this little deal of yours with Itachi, after all."

She froze in realization. He was right. "Then why did you get involved?"

He shrugged.

After a moment, she murmured softly, "Thank you."

"Hey, now you owe me a favor." He grinned sharkishly. "I'll collect at some point."

"Fair enough," she muttered reluctantly. A familiar coppery scent reached her then, and she said with a frown, "You're hurt."

He shook his head dismissively. "It's nothing."

Scowling now, she stood up and went to him, crouching down so that they were at the same level. His plain black cloak, now devoid of the red clouds, shielded his body from her view but the intensifying scent of blood gave him away. What was with male shinobi and their irrational need to cover up their injuries? Kisame was reacting just like one of those stupid Leaf nins who were too proud to admit that they needed medical aid.

"What happened? Who did you fight?" she asked.

"Some Root agents."

"Did you kill them?" she asked apprehensively. Even though they weren't exactly her friends, she still did not want anyone from Leaf dead.

"We didn't need to." He shrugged. "They weren't really that much of a challenge. I got careless, that's all."

"Show me," she demanded.

His beady black eyes remained on hers as he insisted, "It's just a scratch."

Huffing in exasperation, she reached out to yank his cloak aside to reveal his mesh top. A blood-soaked bandage was visible through the tear in the fabric just to the left of his abdomen. A resigned sigh left him as she prodded at it gently.

"This is a pretty big _scratch_," she said drily.

"That's a matter of opinion."

She snorted. Without saying anything else, she pressed a glowing palm to the cut, disinfecting it and sealing the flesh together. It was not a life-threatening wound but it was deep and there was no sense in leaving it untended especially since he'd gotten it while rescuing her parents. It was the least she could do.

Once she was done, she darted a look in the direction of Itachi's room, wondering if he had sustained any injuries.

"Itachi's fine."

She averted her gaze quickly. "Good," she muttered.

"By the way, this doesn't count. You still owe me a favor."

She rolled her eyes. "I get it."

At that point, Uchiha Itachi came out of his room and went to the kitchen. She wanted to thank him but she suspected that he would only respond with something that would piss her off completely. Still, he _had_ kept his word, and he deserved her gratitude.

When he walked back out, she said quietly, "Thank you for rescuing my parents."

To her surprise, Itachi only inclined his head in acknowledgement. Maybe she'd misjudged him and he was capable of being civil to her after all. It was really hard to tell, since she hardly knew him.

"So what now?" she asked. "You said you'll keep them somewhere safe. Here?"

"This isn't my property."

She frowned. "Then, whose is it?"

"The organization's."

"Naruto's?" she said with some surprise.

She couldn't wait to see her old friend but she knew that the Uchiha wouldn't allow that until she did everything he'd asked her to. To be fair, he had succeeded in getting her parents out of Konoha, so it was her turn to do her part. She only hoped that he continued to keep his word.

Kisame supplied, "This is just a meeting point. It wouldn't be safe to keep them here. We might have to leave at any moment and besides, it's too close to Konoha."

"Then where?"

"I will relocate them after you fulfill your part of the agreement."

She glanced at her parents, reluctant to leave them.

"They would awaken in a few hours."

She heard what he hadn't said, that there should be more than sufficient time for her to carry out the inspection he required before her parent woke up. It was the idea of leaving them here unattended, in the presence of an S-class missing nin, that made her feel uncomfortable. Never mind that said missing nin was one of those who'd saved them from an uncertain fate under Danzou's control.

Getting to her feet, she asked him, "Are there any spare blankets?"

"I'll sort that out, _Hime-chan_. Go with Itachi," Kisame said with a dismissive gesture of his hand.

Irritated, she twitched at the unwanted pet name. Little princess indeed. Wait until she showed him just how strong this princess was.

"Come."

Feeling a little edgy and trying hard not to show it, she followed him into his room. The shoji screen slid shut with an ominous click and she swallowed past her dry throat. He wanted medical help and nothing else, she insisted to herself. It wasn't as if she was in any danger from him as long as he needed something from her.

After he had installed wards around the room to ensure their privacy, a move which made her feel even more jittery, he sat cross-legged on the futon.

"You may begin."

Adopting her most professional façade, she knelt before him and asked, "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

His expression betraying nothing, he said, "I was informed that my mind has been tampered with."

Her discomfort easing as she fell into her role, she frowned thoughtfully. Issues related to the mind were particularly sensitive and complicated. "How so?"

"He was unable to provide that information. He suggested that a medic nin would be more qualified to do so."

"Who told you all this?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura felt a jolt of something like excitement. "You didn't tell me how you ended up being involved in Naruto's organization. Considering your shared history, it seems to be an unlikely alliance."

"He requested my services and I agreed."

Comprehending exactly how Uchiha Itachi operated by now, Sakura asked wryly, "In exchange for something, I presume?"

"Aa."

"What is it?"

"That's between me and your friend."

"How…How's Naruto?"

"He's well." He gave her a mildly impatient look. "Perhaps you wish to commence now."

Couldn't he just elaborate a little, she wondered, exasperated. News of Naruto was non-existent for the past couple of years and she was just _starved_ for information. But she guessed trying to force Uchiha Itachi to talk was pointless. When she finally got to meet Naruto, she could ask all the questions she wanted. Right now, she had better concentrate on this medical inspection.

So she exhaled loudly and then bit out, "Fine."

He did not respond.

Caution crawling all over her, she shuffled closer until they were only a few inches apart. Her instinct kept shouting that this was someone dangerous, and getting so close was madness. It was strange to be in this position considering the number of times they'd clashed in the past. But in spite of their frequent encounters, she'd never had the chance to really study him. The last time they'd been so close to each other was when… No! She did not want to think about it.

Forcing herself to focus on the task, she brought her hands to his head. Just before her palms made contact, their eyes met. There was no mistaking the unspoken threat in his dark orbs in spite of his impassive countenance. Being so close already unnerved her, and she really didn't need his attempt at intimidation. It was also beginning to really annoy her.

"Do you want me to do this or not?" she lashed out. "Because I need to be _calm_ when I prod around inside your head. I could easily turn you into a vegetable just like that."

For a moment, his eyes darkened further, making her breath catch and her pulse race in anxiety. Then he blinked and the subtle threat disappeared. Much to her chagrin, she could almost sense that he was _amused_. The urge to strangle him suddenly came over her and she had to take a deep breath to center her mind.

Her tone was clipped when she announced, "I'm starting now. Please remember not to make any abrupt movements."

"Understood."

Very carefully, she formed several precise strings of chakra and fed them into his skull. Closing her eyes, she allowed the strings to map a picture of his brain and began to compare it with what she knew to be a normal, textbook arrangement.

The process was a lengthy one but it was necessary for her to gain an understanding of what she was looking at. And for a long time, she found nothing out of the ordinary apart from the fact that his brain activity was a little more active than a regular person's especially in the area which controlled optics. And as expected with a shinobi, his own chakra was spread over the entire organ.

Then she felt something _different_. Reshaping her chakra strings carefully, she encircled the area only to find that there was a higher concentration of chakra there.

Curious, she warned him, "Don't move. This might feel a little uncomfortable."

She could sense him tensing in front of her but he held himself still. And then she prodded the chakra concentration. It gave a little and then settled back gradually. The concentration seemed to _want_ to stay where it was, almost like it was too stubborn to disperse.

She was frowning when she pulled her hands away and sat back, widening the distance between them. Naruto was right. There was something not quite right about it. The problem was, it wasn't something she'd seen before. What was interesting was the fact that it was in a very peculiar location.

"Your conclusions?" he prompted.

He was giving her a measured look, but she could tell that he was interested. She had no idea when she'd learnt to read the subtleties of his expressions. Probably during one of their numerous exchanges.

She took a deep breath. "Without going into too much detail, different parts of the brain are responsible for different tasks. In yours, the part that controls certain emotions had been interfered with. It's a little weird, because it's not a physical thing. The best way to describe it is that there's a concentration of chakra around that particular area."

"Whose chakra?"

"Yours, from what I can tell. That's probably why you didn't sense anything amiss." A thought occurred to her. "Did you try something on yourself at some point in the past? Like some sort of genjutsu?"

His expression betrayed nothing but she knew that he was thinking it through. As they sat there in silence, she watched him carefully. There was a distant light in his eyes now but other than that, she could not even begin to guess what he was thinking.

As she continued to study his face, it struck her that he was extraordinarily attractive. It was a wonder that it hadn't clicked before but she guessed in the past she'd been a little preoccupied trying to keep herself alive during their battles. The last thing on her mind was how he looked. And lately, she'd been trying to keep her eyes_ off_ him whenever he was partially or completely naked. But now, sitting here without any other distraction, it was kind of hard to miss just how perfect his features were.

Too bad his personality left much to be desired.

A frown furrowed her brows as something occurred to her. She'd always thought that he was cold and twisted. What if he hadn't been always like this? Were her findings today the reason for his behavior? Her frown deepened as she wondered why she was bothering to think up an excuse for his coldness. He was probably like this ever since the day he was born.

His voice broke her out of her contemplations. "Is this reversible?"

Recalling how stubborn the chakra concentration was, she told him honestly, "I'm not sure until I try, but I'm almost certain that it's possible with time. If I could disperse the chakra concentration, that should return things back to normal. Having said that, it's a sensitive operation and will take a while."

"Hn."

"Do you want me to do it?"

"No. That would be all for now. You may attend to your parents."

A little concerned by the utter _flatness_ in his tone, Sakura watched him carefully as she stood up. He pointedly inclined his head towards the door, a clear indication that he wanted her to leave.

He must have realized something, she decided as she walked out of the room.

She wondered what it was.

000

* * *

000

Perhaps it was the passage of time that made the memory dim but now that he consciously forced the details to the forefront of his mind, he was able to identify the reason of his condition. He did not know how he ought to feel about the fact that he hadn't fully understood the implication of the technique back then. And even though he could be reasonably excused for such a lapse considering the distressing situation he'd been in, he should not allow himself the luxury to do so.

A humorless smile crossed his lips as he recalled Shisui's uncharacteristically harsh words. His cousin was right. The Uchiha Itachi eleven years ago had been weakened by his compassion, by his intolerance for violence and strife. And for a shinobi, that was simply unacceptable, as demonstrated by how conflicted he'd been when the council had given the orders to eliminate his clan. He'd even briefly considered ignoring the order despite their promise to spare Sasuke. But Shisui was right in saying that the council wouldn't stop until the Uchiha clan was wiped out.

Itachi grimaced inwardly at the memory. It no longer mattered. The past was in the past. There was no need for him to seek to 'reverse' the situation. His mind was at ease now that he understood what Naruto had inadvertently stumbled upon. This was nothing new.

He glanced down as his dusty clothing. Deciding to cleanse himself, Itachi walked out of his bedroom. The silence from the living room and Kisame's room suggested that everyone had fallen asleep. A quick wash followed and then he rubbed a damp towel over his hair and bare chest as he journeyed unhindered back from the washroom to the bedroom.

Moments later, he fell into a light sleep.

Shortly afterwards, he stirred at the muted sound of conversation filtering through the shoji screen. Sitting up and letting the sheets fall to his hips, he stifled a yawn. The grittiness in his eyes and the weary weight of his body told him that he could do with several hours more sleep, but it was impossible now that he'd been disturbed. As expected, the sound of footsteps reached him and then the kunoichi was tapping for his attention.

"Come in," he called out quietly.

The screen slid open and she stepped in. Her attention immediately snapped to his bare chest and to his amusement, her cheeks reddened in reaction. As riveting as the sight was, she should truly attempt to control her physical reactions. It was unseemly for a kunoichi to be so… _open. _

Before he could think twice, he advised, "You would do well to mask your appreciation."

The way she tensed abruptly was as entertaining as he'd expected. She looked flustered, and evidently more than ready to display her temper in a physical manner judging by the way her hands had clenched into white-knuckled fists.

"It's not _appreciation!"_ she denied vehemently. "Why are you undressed, anyway?"

"I find it more comfortable to sleep this way," he replied candidly.

Itachi idly noted that his sleepiness had all but fled in the face of her amusing performance. He suppose he could cease this line of conversation, however, there was this inexplicable need to torment her further. Perhaps this was simply another method of fighting as far as he was concerned. It wasn't as if he could recommence their previous exchanges, considering that he'd given his word to Naruto not to harm any of his friends while their agreement was in effect.

"Well, put on some clothes," she demanded gruffly, tearing her eyes away from him to fix her gaze upon a spot in the corner of the room.

He stood up slowly, watching her jump slightly as her eyes flickered sideways just in time to see the sheets puddle at his feet. Her sigh of relief was almost imperceptible but he did not miss it. The reaction betrayed the fact she'd been wondering if he was completely naked. It was a pity to have disappointed her, he thought wryly.

Casually, he dropped a hand and dipped his thumb inside his waistband.

She sucked in a sharp breath. If she'd been flustered before, it was nothing compared now. She looked so _brittle_ that he could not help but smirk. He wondered if he pushed hard enough, would she shatter? No, she was stronger than that. Instead of shattering, she would fight back. Perhaps that was the reason why their encounters were always _interesting_. She did not cower before him, nor give in no matter what the circumstances were.

Lifting his hand, he reached for a clean mesh top from his small pack. "This body isn't something you haven't seen before. There's no need for embarrassment," he pointed out mildly as he pulled it over his head. "One could even say that we'd been _intimate_."

A choked sound escaped her. "That's not funny!" she lashed out. Whirling fully towards him, she glared hard. "Don't you dare make a joke out of that whole disaster!"

"Was it truly so traumatizing?" he deliberately asked, even though he could clearly recall the sight of her with tears glistening in her eyes. "There is no need for discomfort. You know by now that it wasn't me."

"It _looked_ like you."

"And you would be less uncomfortable if he didn't look like me?"

She threw her arms up in the air in a show of annoyance. "That's not the point! And anyway, you made me kill him for no reason."

"I no longer require his body."

"But what I did..." Breaking off, she swallowed hard and avoided his gaze.

Interested, he asked, "Then, would you be less distressed if it had been my true body? Would you feel less guilty if you'd killed me instead?"

He closed the distance between them and leaned in. She held herself rigid and kept her eyes from him but his proximity had clearly affected her. The telltale flush across her features was oddly appealing. Even after all this time, she managed to keep his fascination alive. Fleetingly he wondered if he would eventually grow weary of this game they played.

Wishing to see how she would answer, he pressed, "Tell me."

"I'm not discussing this topic with you." She inhaled deeply as if to center herself, and then said, "You mentioned moving my parents elsewhere. They're awake now. We should make a move," she said in a clipped tone.

She could not make it any clearer that she was avoiding that particular discussion. Deciding to relent for now, he nodded and gestured at the door. Without delay, she walked out briskly, leaving him to follow in her wake.

Her parents, who'd been quietly conversing amongst themselves, went silent at their approach and stood up from the flat cushions on the floor. The half-full cups of tea on the low table showed that they'd been awake for some time. Itachi found his attention drawn to her father. He'd not looked closely earlier but at second glance, there was something oddly familiar about the elderly man. It was something he could not quite place. Perhaps he'd encountered or even interacted with the man before he'd defected from Konoha.

He also wondered how two civilians had managed to produce such a competent kunoichi. And one with such an eye-catching shade of hair. Observing the red-headed man and the blonde woman, he could only conclude that the anomalous color of the kunoichi's hair could only be blamed on a genetic mishap.

000

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000

Her parents exuded uncertainty from every line of their body. She could not blame them. Hell, she was also unsure about the whole thing but it was too late to turn back now. Placing her trust in an S-class missing nin to keep her parents safe sounded like a crazy step to take. Then again, Uchiha Itachi taking orders from Naruto was just as preposterous.

When they'd woken up, disoriented and confused, she'd explained everything she'd been unable to tell them over the past three years. Unsurprisingly, they had no idea that they were being used to blackmail her into compliance. And when they'd heard the full story, they'd been outraged. That was what she loved most about her parent; they were always on her side no matter what. True, they'd probably spoilt her rotten in doing so, even to the extent of allowing her to enroll in the Academy when it was clear that they had their misgivings.

But allowing themselves to be placed in the care of a stranger was another thing altogether. Her father had voiced his doubts, thinking that perhaps they could simply stay with distant relatives at the edge of Fire Country. Sakura didn't think that it was safe enough. If Danzou wanted to, he could track down every one of their relatives.

"Sakura-chan… This is the man you were talking about?" her father asked, stepping forward to place a comforting arm around her shoulder.

She nodded. "Yes, Otou-san. Uchiha-san knows of a safe place and we will bring you there. I can help you to settle in."

At this, the Uchiha gave her sharp shake of his head.

She sighed, expecting his refusal. "I feel more comfortable if I could go with them."

"As I've previously explained, your involvement is unwise."

"Maybe you should listen to him, Sakura-chan," her mother implored. "He looks like the type who knows what he's doing."

She blinked, hardly believing her mother was taking his side when she heard Kisame stifle a snort as he walked out from his bedroom to join them. As expected, her parents immediately took a step back at his approach. She supposed he did cut quite a frightening picture with his blue skin, beady black eyes and those pointed teeth.

"It's fine. He's with us," she said, hardly believing that such words actually came out of her mouth. "Kisame-san helped you escape from Konoha."

"Thank you," her father said politely.

"It's nothing, Haruno-san," the Mist-nin returned gruffly.

"And thank you to you too, Uchiha-san."

Itachi inclined his head in acknowledgement. "You're welcomed."

Despite the situation, she could not help but be struck with just how _normal_ this exchange was. Never in a million years could she dream that she would be in this situation. Their interaction was so civilized.

Sakura watched as the dark-haired nukenin glanced out of the window at the dawning day. It was early enough that the birds had only begun to chirp, she noted.

"We shouldn't leave it any later. That would be too risky," she said to Itachi. "Maybe we should cast a genjutsu on them as well."

"Genjutsu?" her father asked.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," her mother added worriedly.

"But it keeps you from being recognized," Sakura insisted.

"It's unnecessary," Itachi interjected. "They will have no contact with others during this period."

"What?" she gasped as her parents' lips parted in bemusement. "But…"

Kisame cut in, "If he's thinking of the place I'm thinking, then there's no need for it. They will have everything they need there, and the summons will handle any requests."

She blinked, trying to absorb it all. No contact with others means that they would be less at risk, which was great. It sounded fine and anyway, she still wanted to go with them, so that if there were any problems, she could sort them out. In the meantime, there was something else she needed to confirm with the Uchiha.

Catching his eyes, she asked, "Can I have a word?"

He gave her a long, assessing look and then gestured to the back door leading outside from the kitchen.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she told her parents as they made their way outside.

Once they were standing at the end of the small bamboo-fenced garden, she turned to him. He was leaning against one of the fence panel, stoic and unmoving.

"What about the other part of our deal?" she asked quietly.

"Do you give your word to uphold your end?"

She nodded, knowing that it was worth it. After all, she had effectively defected so she was no longer answerable to the current Hokage, not that she would ever willingly follow Danzou if she had a choice. "I owe you one full medical treatment, whatever it is, and whenever you ask for it. In return, you put me in touch with Naruto. That sounds about right?"

There was a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes and she wondered if she should be worried about it. It was almost impossible to tell what he was thinking even though she could sometimes guess his moods.

"That is acceptable."

So, now that that was settled, there was another thing to confirm with regards to her parents. "So, after I accompany you to-"

"No."

She immediately scowled. "No? Why?"

"I do not have the resources to support another person."

Blinking in confusion, she blurted, "What?"

"I intend to use a transportation jutsu, and the secure location is a fair distance away."

Comprehension dawned and she sighed heavily. If it was like any other secured place, then she wouldn't know how to get there using transportation jutsu. Itachi would have to transport both her parents, and it would be mad to ask him to transport her as well. That would just take way too much chakra. As powerful as he was, she doubted that he would willingly drain himself for something like that.

"Fine." Giving him a stern look, she said, "You better make sure nothing happens to my parents."

There was a mild look of irritation on his face, as if he could not believe the words that came out of her mouth. And as usual, he would no doubt retaliate in some way.

So, she already expected it when in a mere blink of an eye, he'd swung her around against the fence and was right in her face. But this time, she caught his wrist before he could fist his fingers around the front of her red vest to slam her back against the garden fence. Her eyes stung with the abrupt chakra infusion, but she kept her Sharingan activated as she glared at him.

His brows were slightly furrowed and the corner of his lips tilted briefly, as if he could not decide if he wanted to scowl or smirk at her.

"You're not going to catch me off guard with that move again," she ground out, tightening her chakra-fuelled fingers threateningly around his wrist.

"Indeed," he murmured thoughtfully.

And then to her utter astonishment, he slowly reached up with his free hand to brush away a strand of pink hair that had fallen into her right eye. Before she could grapple with the meaning of the move, he trailed his fingers down her cheeks, pausing only to rub his rough thumb over her parted bottom lip. In reaction, she felt an almost overriding urge to touch his thumb with the tip of her tongue but before she could give in to the craziness, his hand drew back.

An involuntary shiver ran up her spine, and her hold loosened.

Abruptly, he stepped back and smirked. At a loss for words, she could only stare at him. What was that? _What the hell was that?_

"I've already given my word. Come."

Without another glance at her, he walked back into the house, leaving her to continue staring at him in shock.

Her lip still tingled from his touch.

000

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000

A/N: I'm really enjoying plotting this story, but I know that it might be darker than my usual writing - hopefully it's still OK for most. Sometimes I'm just a little torn between going all out with the darker stuff, and toning things down for general consumption. Anyway that's all I have to say today, except that my muse would love to be fed and she loves reviews. :P

:elle6778:


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing this story!

* * *

**The Butterfly - -Chapter 7 - by elle6778**

The journey to deposit the kunoichi's parents took three separate executions of the transportation jutsu. Once there, he then settled them just across the border within the Land of Rain in the small house surrounded by spacious ground. It was a house he'd rarely used in his days in the Akatsuki, but now it was convenient as the Leaf forces would not dare to cross the border. Her parents would be safe there under the supervision of the old caretaker he'd instructed to see to their care. As a precaution, he left several of his crow summons to guard the property and act as his eyes and ears.

It was dark by the time he returned to the house in Fire Country only to note that Kisame was not present. There was only one other person there.

Itachi stared grimly at the stirring form against the shoji screen in front of his bedroom. After an entire day of transporting two civilians and subsequently making the return journey, he was chakra-drained, weary and wished for nothing more than a full night of rest to make up for the nights he'd missed. However, he should have expected that his wish would be thwarted. Irritation coursed through him mixed with something else he presently did not have the patience to analyze as he stared while her expression cleared to display a hint of uncertainty. As much as their interactions amused him, he simply was not in the mood to do anything but sleep.

Blinking slowly, she stood up. "So? How did it go? Are my parents alright?"

"They're in a secure location."

She nodded, giving him a drowsy smile. "Great. Thanks for bringing them there."

For a while, they simply stared at each other. There was something _appealing_ about the unguarded way she held herself at the moment. It was a rare sight, as she was almost always wary in his presence, as she should be, at least until this moment. Inexplicably disturbed by the notion that she might be growing comfortable in his presence, Itachi took a step towards his room and gave her a cold look.

"Move."

She gave him a strangely guilty look, and then shifted to allow him to slide open the screen to enter the room. Much to his exasperation, she followed him in. Kisame would know better than to approach him in this situation, but then again, Kisame had worked with him for a good part of a decade and knew when to leave him alone.

Ignoring her, he removed his cloak and pulled off his mesh shirt before unfolding the futon onto the tatami mat.

When she finally broke the silence, it was to ask in a tone tinged with concern, "Are you feeling alright?"

He exhaled impatiently as he stretched out onto the futon. Closing his eyes, he murmured, "I wish for some solitude."

A brief moment passed and then he heard her shuffle closer. Incredulous that she was evidently not taking the hint, he gave her a stony glance just as she crouched down beside him. She appeared visibly anxious, much to his bemusement. What was bothering her now?

"You look exhausted."

He felt somewhat slighted at her observation, even though it was nothing but the truth. Ignoring her comment, he proceeded to give her a pointed stare.

"Did you not hear me?" he asked curtly.

A mutinous expression crossed her face as she bristled. "I heard you. I can also tell that you're physically not in a good state right now. Where exactly is this place? You were gone for a whole day and your chakra is nearly drained." Wearing a disapproving and uncompromising look, she continued, "Let me give you a check-up and help make you more comfortable."

He could not help but let out a derisive huff. "Your debt to be wouldn't be repaid so simply."

She scowled darkly. "That's not what I meant. This is… free of charge." She shrugged as her eyes roamed aimlessly around his room, as if reluctant to make contact with his. Her tone was stilted when she said, "Look, deal or not, you've no idea how much you've helped my family by doing this. I'm just grateful. And making you feel comfortable is the least I can do after everything."

An intense study of her profile told him that she was sincere. The last time someone had attempted to spoil him in this manner was more than ten years ago, when he'd been a thirteen-year-old boy in Konoha. Despite his rank, his mother had always treated him like a child and never missed an opportunity to indulge him, much to his father's displeasure.

That had been a long time ago. To experience this now was so unusual that Itachi found himself at a loss for words. Her offer was unnecessary for he would return to full capacity after a day or two.

"So? Are you going to be stubborn about this, or you're going to take me up on my offer?" she demanded, fisting her hands on her hips.

He was about to decline when an errant thought occurred to him. What was the harm in allowing it? She was unlikely to hurt him, considering that she required his aid in contacting her friend. Furthermore, her parents were at his mercy.

"I'm uninjured and therefore do not require any healing. What is the nature of your offer?" he asked curiously.

She bit her lips thoughtfully, and then explained, "It's kind of like a chakra-assisted massage. It will encourage your body to recover faster. Kakashi, Naruto and Sai always said it works."

"Sai?" he prompted upon hearing the unfamiliar name.

"If you roll over to your front, I can start." After a short pause, she added, "And I can tell you about Sai."

Years of training made him instinctively wary of presenting his back to anyone, but he reminded himself that she was not so foolish as to injure him. With a nod, he shifted over onto his front and rested the side of his head on the pillow.

He had to bite back a sigh as her warm palms and the soothing injection of her chakra made contact with his bare shoulders. The knotted tension began to melt under her hands as she moved in light circles around the area. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He'd never trusted anyone enough for such a thing.

Tension spiked through him. Did that mean that he trusted her?

He frowned inwardly at the idea, unsure what to make of it.

In a quiet voice, she began to talk. "When Sasuke left, Sai joined Team Kakashi to make up our four-man team. We didn't know it at that time, but he was sent by Danzou to spy on us. He was emotionless and completely clueless about normal society. It was almost like he was a shell with nothing but shinobi skills. That's the first time I meet someone from Root, so I didn't know that all of them are like that."

"Hn."

There was a slight waver in her tone when she continued, "We did the usual missions together so we'd gotten to know each other pretty well. Sai loves to draw and paint, and his specialist jutsu reflects that. Whenever we were off duty, we dragged him out with us as well. We only spent about a year together, but Sai gradually changed. By the time the… takeover happened, Sai was firmly on our side. Danzou knows this." At this point, her voice hardened. "Danzou didn't kill him or even confront him about this, but everyone can tell that all the suicidal ANBU missions go to Sai."

"He's still alive?" Itachi murmured softly, incapable of saying more as she moved lower where his pants formed an unsatisfying barrier between her palm and his skin.

"Yes. I see him around sometimes, but I think Danzou purposely keeps us apart because we're the only two members of Team Kakashi left in Konoha."

"Hn."

The sensation of her chakra-coated hands on his aching legs almost made him sigh. He could hardly believe that he was allowing her so much privilege over his body, but he could not find a reason to complain.

"What are you going to do about that anomaly in your head?" she asked suddenly.

He stifled a sigh. Her question was distracting him from the enjoyment of her treatment. "That's no longer your concern," he murmured.

"You're not worried about it?"

"No. Please refrain from asking any more questions."

He winced as she pressed down harder, as if to admonish him. However, the fact that she said nothing else went a long way in appeasing him.

The rest of the session went by in silence. By the time she draped the sheets over him and pulled away, Itachi was barely awake. His consciousness melted away immediately after the shoji screen slid shut.

000

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000

Folding her feet beneath her as she sat in front of the low table, Sakura cupped a hot teacup between her hands as she mulled over her most recent exchange with Itachi.

She'd waited for his return for two reasons. One was because she wanted to know how things had gone with her parents, and the other because she wanted to see Naruto as soon as possible and had planned on asking him about it. But as soon as she'd seen what he'd looked like standing there in front of her, all such thoughts flew out of her mind.

She'd never seen him so exhausted, even after their worst fights. The stress lines on his face had been etched so deep that he almost looked gaunt. He'd also been less reserved in their interactions. Seeing him so drained that could not even keep up his usual stoic mask unnerved her so much that it compelled her to do something about it. Besides, his condition was directly related to something she'd made him do.

When she'd placed her hands on his bare skin, she'd realized that it was probably a mistake. It had been fine when she'd done it to her teammates, but with Itachi it _felt_ far too personal. His skin was smooth where it was not marred by scars, but the muscles underneath were taut. She could not help but feel just a little scared by her unusual need to touch him more than absolutely necessary.

At least he hadn't reacted strangely the way he had done back in the garden this morning. Until now, she still couldn't get her head around that. If he was any normal person, she would have immediately thought that he was attracted to her. But Itachi was far from normal. His mind was twisted in a way she couldn't even begin to try to understand. And touching her like that was probably just his sick way of unsettling her enough to cause her to let go of him. In fact, that must be it.

She scowled at the thought. What he'd done had definitely shaken her, but what was more worrying was her own reaction to it. Some part of her had wanted to take his attention and bring it one step further. What was this about? She could not be _attracted_ to him, could she? It made no sense. Their interactions had always been bathed in violence. She _could not_ be attracted to this mass-murdering, maddening nukenin.

Thankfully, her ridiculous line of thought was interrupted by an approaching presence. Her gaze darted to the front of the house. Soon afterwards, the door opened to reveal the Mist nukenin in his flowing dark cloak.

"You're back," she greeted warily, still unsure how reliable he was, even though he seemed alright so far. For an ex-enemy, that was.

Kisame grinned. "There's no need for that. We're on the same side. For now."

The idea was so strange that she scowled. "So it seems."

Propping his huge sword against the wall and tossing his cloak next to it, Kisame dropped down on the opposite side of the table. Raising a brow at the teapot, he queried, "Tea? At this time of the night?"

Rolling her eyes, she said, "What do you expect? It's not like there's anything else available."

"That's what you think."

He stood up abruptly and then left the living room. Shortly afterwards, he returned with an unfamiliar bottle. The look on his face warned her that whatever the stuff was, it was _good_, but in a bad way. The fact that he brought it out could only mean one thing. Sakura found her lips twitching in mirth even as her mind reminded her that this man was an enemy not too long ago.

"What's that?" she asked.

He bared his teeth in a grin. "Got it in Lightning from a travelling merchant just before Itachi found me."

Curiosity getting the better of her, she went to the kitchen and brought back two glasses. Kisame opened the bottle and poured a generous measure for each of them. She took her glass and gave it a wary sniff, only to have her eyes tear up in reaction.

"This is strong!" she exclaimed, suppressing the urge to cough.

Kisame let out a bark of laughter. "That's the whole point of drinking," he said, and then tossed back the glass, grimacing in reaction.

Deciding to take the plunge, she did the same and felt it burn all the way down to her stomach. A liquid heat immediately spread out and she let out a long sigh. When was the last time she'd felt this sensation? It must have been years ago. Yeah, the last time she'd imbibed in anything so strong was during one of Tsunade-shishou's drinking sessions. And as usual, the thought of her mentor brought a flood of sadness upon her.

Suddenly, drowning her sorrows sounded like the best idea.

"You look like you know what you're doing, _Hime-chan_," he teased. "Not even a small flinch."

Rolling her eyes, she stuck out her empty glass at him. "Refill, please."

His laughter was loud and full as he poured her another one. "This will be gone before we know it. Let's make things more interesting, shall we?"

Her glass paused halfway to her lips, and she raised a questioning brow. What was he up to, she wondered. Nevertheless, it shouldn't really matter. It wasn't as if she had a low tolerance to alcohol or anything like that.

Still grinning, he explained, "Can't do anything too extreme, or we might wake Itachi up. And let me tell you that that's the last thing you want to do after what he'd gone through the last few days.

Guilt immediately washed over her and her mood sobered. "He didn't look too good when he got back."

Kisame nodded. "Between infiltrating Konoha, kidnapping you and then your parents, followed this most recent trip, I don't think he'd had much sleep over the last one week." At her sunken expression, he added, "He'll survive. We have been through worse."

"In Akatsuki?" she asked curiously.

A reflective expression came over him. "Aa, it was pretty intense back then." Shaking his head slightly, he changed the subject, "How about we indulge in a bit of arm wrestling? The loser downs a shot."

She wondered if it was really such a good idea. Still, as long as she was careful to regulate her system as she went along, she should be fine. Tsunade-shishou had taught her well.

"Bring it on!" she called out with a small smile.

Challenge gleamed in Kisame's black eyes as his elbow landed on the low table. Doing the same, Sakura clasped his rough, much larger hand and fed chakra into her arm.

His eyes narrowed. "Isn't that cheating?"

She shrugged. "I'm not so stupid as to arm-wrestle you without chakra."

"I'll still win anyway."

A snort left her. "Just watch."

And then they were on, pushing their hands against each other. She strained against him, feeling like she was trying to move a mountain. But she knew that she could do it.

The first victory went to Kisame, and the second went to her. The level of the liquid in the bottle gradually dropped as the back of their hands hit the tabletop in turn. Even with her chakra-enhancement, it was difficult to win but she managed to somewhat tie the score, maybe. She'd lost count about a few turns ago.

"Hey, is this really a good idea?" she asked as she stifled a laugh.

"What is?"

"Getting drunk."

Kisame snorted and then staggered to his feet to walk to the door to fling it open. As she followed curiously, he sped through a string of seals. Water jutsu, her fuzzy mind supplied her as energy vibrated around them. The next thing she knew, the grounds surrounding the property were encased in what appeared to be a giant bubble.

"What the hell?" she muttered in shock.

Looking pleased with himself, Kisame went back to the table and dropped back down. "No one could get in or out now. So let's carry on."

From there, their condition deteriorated until Sakura fell flat on her back with the room swirling wildly around her. Kisame wasn't in a better condition. In fact, he was already snoring a few feet away from her. At some point, Samehada had even made its way into his arms, she noted with amusement.

This wasn't so bad, after all. She could feel the unusual sensation of a smile on her lips as she gave in to blissful unconsciousness.

000

* * *

000

When Itachi woke, it was to an atmosphere of complete stillness. He reached out his senses and immediately detected the two familiar presences in the house, but also Kisame's protective barrier surrounding the property.

Concluding that there was nothing to be concerned about, he stood up and proceeded to complete his morning ablutions. His body was fully refreshed, much more than he'd ever experienced after just one night of rest and he suspected that it was the result of the kunoichi's ministrations. She possessed a number of useful skills that he was only beginning to be aware of. He was also of the opinion that she was capable of much more, and this filled him with a sensation of impatient expectancy.

Once he was dressed, he made his way to the front of the house. Upon his entrance to the living room, Itachi blinked slowly at the sight which greeted him.

Snoring loudly, Kisame was on his back with Samehada slung across his chest. Not far from him, a head of messy pink hair draped across the tatami mat as its owner continued to sleep. The scent of some alcoholic beverage pervaded the room, which explained the condition of these two disgraceful shinobi. It was far from the first time Kisame had over-indulged, but Itachi found it difficult to comprehend why the kunoichi had allowed herself to end up in the same situation.

Stepping closer, he nudged her shoulder with his bare feet, only to have her groan and promptly ignore him. With a pettiness he wasn't aware he possessed, he nudged her harder. This time, she tensed and in a flash of movement, she was up on her feet with her deadly blue chakra coating both hands. The fact that her eyes were barely focusing made her even more dangerous.

Holding himself perfectly still as to not invite an instinctive attack from her, he waited until her eyes cleared. He watched as she blinked slowly in recognition and then defused the chakra surrounding her hands. A moment later, she winced and clutched her head with both hands. Color drained from her face, leaving her looking visibly ill.

"Suffering, Haruno?" he asked acerbically.

She cut him an unhappy glare as she inserted healing chakra into her skull. It took a few minutes before she finally lowered her hands, sighing in relief. She no longer looked as if she was being tormented by the effects of alcohol abuse. There was no doubt that Kisame would've liked to be able to dismiss the effects so easily, Itachi thought drily.

Glancing out towards the window, she exclaimed incredulously, "It's still morning!"

"Indeed."

"Why the hell did you wake me up?" she snarled in a display of ill temper.

Shouldn't that be obvious? "It's morning."

The vein above her brow twitched. "I'm going back to sleep."

He felt a stab of annoyance, which provoked him to say, "You will spar with me."

The wideness of her eyes almost swallowing her entire face, she sputtered, "W-What? I'm not sparring with you!"

"Too debilitated to do so?" he mocked. "How pitiful."

Her entire form stiffened in affront as he hid a smirk. Surely she should know better than to rise to his taunts by now. Evidently not, seeing that she was now marching resolutely towards the back garden without even answering him.

Keen anticipation filled him as he followed in her wake until he was bathed in rays of the morning sun. This would be the first time they fought just for the sake of entertainment, and training, of course. It would be interesting to see how she fared against him in such a situation.

She stood in the middle of the parched ground which made up most of the garden, feet shoulder's width apart and arms crossed over her chest. Giving him a look she would probably describe as fierce, but one which only succeeded in amusing him further, she decreed, "Keep it simple. No chakra, no Sharingan. Only plain hand-to-hand."

"Agreed."

It would be foolish to do more considering the limited space at the rear of the house. Even though it was enclosed by tall bamboo fencing, it wasn't nearly enough to contain them if they utilized any higher-level techniques.

Ten feet or so separated them. Neither of them moved, and although he kept his expression impassive, Itachi found himself looking forward to her first attack. She usually relied heavily on her chakra and her eyes during their previous fights so this would be something new.

In a fraction of a second, she charged. He ducked to the side, avoiding the sweep of her foot and then launched his own fist at her. She batted his wrist, deflecting the blow and immediately followed with a punch. Her attack fell short as he took a smooth step backwards, and he smirked as her eyes narrowed in irritation.

"You're at a disadvantage," he pointed out as he shot behind her with the intention to deliver a blow to the back of her neck.

Twisting out of the way, she gritted out, "Really? How so?"

"Simple," he said as he jumped to avoid her knee-height roundhouse, and then spun around to throw a kick which connected solidly with her hip. "Your limbs are shorter."

She fell but quickly rolled back upright. Glaring at him, she snapped, "Well, that might be true but it doesn't mean that I can't hand you your ass!"

"Your language leaves much to be desired," he intoned flatly.

She charged again, but her movements were swifter this time. They exchanged several unsuccessful attacks before the heel of her hand connected with his jaw. It was only a glancing blow, but the sting forced Itachi to admit that she was still a competent kunoichi even without her use of chakra and her enhanced eyes. It was rare that one could land a hit on him. He only recalled a handful of shinobi who had done so.

Smug was the only word to describe her expression. "That feels good?" she mocked.

"It is not enough to bruise," he stated.

Her countenance went dark as she erupted in a flurry of attacks which he deflected one after another. An opening presented itself as he sidestepped an uppercut, and he slammed his fist into her midsection. She gasped, and then jumped back away from him with a hand pressed against the red fabric over her stomach.

"Now that might bruise," he offered mildly. "I should remind you of our agreement. No chakra use. Not even to heal yourself."

"Oh, shut up and fight!" she snarled.

This time, he made the first move. His fists darted forward in a series of punches, all of which she blocked but she failed to sense his intent. Or so he thought as he delivered an unexpected kick which connected hard the side of her head, one which should have sent her flying.

To his surprise, she withstood the impact with nothing but tightly gritted teeth. As he withdrew, strong fingers clamped around his ankle and wrenched. Knowing what to expect, he loosened his form as his body spun and hit the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. A booted foot crashed down where his head had just been as he rolled out of the way and sprung to his feet.

They clashed again in a rapid exchange of punches, blocks, kicks and more blocks. A fist hit his stomach, a knee was driven into hers, his jaw was once again abused by the heel of her palm, and finally she staggered back at the combined impact of his kick followed by a direct hit high up on her left shoulder.

Their eyes met as they sprung away from each other. Hers were glittering with a mix of wariness and animation as she wiped away the sweat dotting her brows with the back of her hand. They were both breathing a little harder now, her more than him, he noticed. It was hardly surprising considering what she'd been up to last night. Furthermore, she had so far taken a worse beating, not that it deterred her in the least.

"Shannaro!"

She somersaulted forward and Itachi raised his arms just in time to block her descending foot. Using him as a springboard, she flipped midair to land a short distance away. He came at her in an erratic path, watching as her eyes darted left and right in an attempt to predict his movement. It was clear that she wasn't going to avoid him this time. Foolish kunoichi.

The back of his hand impacted against her face the same moment she drove a surprisingly strong fist into his chest. He staggered a few steps back and had to suppress the urge to cough. The sensation felt alarmingly like the illness he'd suffered for years prior to the failure of the Gedo statue.

Brushing the thought away, he focused his attention on her. The blow to her face had reddened her cheeks and it would certainly bruise if left unhealed. He felt an unusual regret that the smooth perfection was now marred, mixed with the strange satisfaction that he'd been the one to inflict it upon her.

The fact that he was experiencing so many emotions lately was bewildering. Such a thing had hardly happened during his time with Akatsuki. It was not as if he had consciously suppressed his emotions, but he had simply had no reason to feel any intense sentiments. It did not escape him that ever since he'd first laid eyes on the three black tomoes set in each of her emerald orbs, his emotions had often been close to the surface whenever he interacted with her.

It was intriguing, as well as a little disturbing.

"Tired already?"

Her taunting words broke into his contemplations and Itachi's eyes narrowed a fraction.

"Aa. Perhaps a little," he admitted frankly.

Surprise flashed across her face, as she'd clearly expected him to deny it.

With an inward smirk, he added, "But not as tired as you are."

Indignation welled up upon her features. "We'll see just who is more tired."

He watched with disapproval as she rushed him with no apparent regard to strategy. She had obviously grown too weary to present a challenge to him. Deciding that it was time to end the session, he waited until she was almost upon him and the sidestepped only far enough to allow her fist to graze his cheek before grabbing her arm. Wrenching her down, he drove his knee up into her abdomen, drawing a loud gasp from her and then proceeded to throw her off.

She landed on her back on the ground with a thud and he immediately closed the distance. A struggle ensued but it was futile, for she was too drained to put up a meaningful fight by then. Clamping her legs under his, he encircled her wrist over her head with one hand and placed his other hand around her neck. If this was a true battle, it would take a fraction of a second for him to crush her throat.

Furious, she glared up at him with a pair of emerald eyes and Itachi found himself giving in to the urge to run his gaze over her features. Her cheeks were flushed with the exertion, reddened with injury and her skin was dewy with sweat but he found the sight _arresting._ Their suggestive position did not help either, and his mind fed him with images of some rather interesting possibilities.

Her eyes widened as he lowered his head. When her lips parted in shock, he reached out to trace the tip of his tongue along her jaw, tasting the saltiness of her sweat. The eroticism of his action did not go unnoticed by his own body. As he moved his lips closer to her ear, she tensed and her breath caught, bringing a smirk to his lips.

"You lost," he whispered.

And then he raised himself off her and left her on the ground, body limp and staring up at him in utter shock. Satisfied with his accomplishment, he departed from the garden and returned to the living room. Kisame was already awake but he could tell that the Mist nukenin was suffering for his foolishness.

"Sparring so early in the morning?" Kisame grumbled as he went to the door.

"Aa."

A snort followed and then the blue-skinned nin performed the seals to dispel the barrier. Turning to him, Kisame asked, "She's still alive?"

"Of course."

"Good. I wouldn't mind another drinking session with her." Grinning, he continued, "Didn't expect someone that small to keep up with me, and then wake up the next day to spar with you. She's sure something else."

"She's the Godaime's apprentice."

"That does explain things, I suppose. Heard that the woman drinks and gambles like there's no tomorrow," Kisame muttered with an unmistakable hint of admiration in his voice.

Itachi gave Kisame a disapproving look, but the Mist nin was obviously not bothered.

Now that Kisame's barrier was gone, Itachi proceeded to do what he'd planned to do this morning before he was rudely interrupted by the antics of his housemates.

000

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000

Pain…

Her entire body throbbed but she couldn't be asked to open her eyes and get up to heal herself properly. Instead, she remained there and channeled healing chakra throughout her body from her horizontal position. It was slower this way, but it would work.

Eventually.

She continued in this slow and painstaking fashion until the more severe injuries were gone. Only then did she allow herself to rant inwardly.

That unbelievable bastard! He _knew_ that she was not in a state to fight properly but he had to take advantage of it. Did he have no compassion at all?

_And what was that at the end? _

An odd shiver ran through her as she recalled the sensation of his tongue running up the side of her face lightly. She had been so dumbfounded that she was hardly able to breathe, and then her body had grown hot in response. What was worse was that she'd felt _cold_ when he finally lifted his body away from her. The implication of her reactions couldn't be clearer, and it scared the hell out of her. And when she was scared, she got mad.

Still, right now, she was too tired to get properly mad. All she wanted to do was to go back to sleep and that was what she would do. She would deal with this issue with Itachi later when she could think a bit clearer.

Just as she was about to doze off right there in the garden, something jolted through her.

The flare of familiar chakra was her only warning. Tensing in disbelief, her eyes snapped open to the sight of a worried whiskered face crowned by a head of blond hair. Her heart seized immediately and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Sakura-chan?"

A choked squeak escaped her and then she was up, jumping into Naruto's arms.

He was here. _Naruto was here!_ She wasn't dreaming, was she? Her eyes roamed greedily over him, taking in the black and green attire which replaced his loud orange clothes. He looked older but he looked good. She could hardly believe that he was right there after all this time.

"Naruto! How… Why…"

He pulled away but didn't answer her question. A little more carefully than she'd expected, he lowered her feet to the ground. That worried look was still on his face when he asked, "What happened to you?"

"Huh?"

Only when she glanced down that it struck her. "Oh, this?" She gestured at the evidence of her fight with Itachi. "I was just sparring."

He gave her an incredulous look. And then a horrific scowl appeared on his face. She'd seen that expression often enough to understand that Naruto was about to lose it. Before she could say anything, a flare of murderous aura burst from him.

"That bastard! I'll kill him!"

Eyes widening, she grabbed Naruto before he could do something rash. Quickly, she insisted, "Wait! It's really just sparring."

He didn't seem convinced. "This looks like a bit much for sparring! He hit your face!"

She sighed. "It probably looks worse than it really is. Also, I probably don't look too good because I'm still a little hung-over from last night."

"Hung-over?" he echoed with a frown.

Feeling a little idiotic, she admitted, "I was drinking with Kisame last night."

Naruto blinked slowly. After a long while, he muttered, "I can't be hearing this right."

"It's true! But never mind that." A smile stretched her face and she tugged on his arm excitedly. "Sit down and we can chat. I missed you so much!"

His expression softened as he allowed her to pull him down to the dusty ground. "Me too," he admitted. "But I really didn't expect to see you here when Itachi asked me to come. And when I saw you hurt like that…"

She shrugged easily. "This is really nothing. I've been through worse with him."

Naruto tensed. "What?" he hissed, redness flashing briefly in his eyes.

She swallowed hard past the irrational, but instinctive fear at his display. At times like this, she was forcefully reminded of the dangerous strength hidden behind his outwardly innocent façade. Or maybe not so innocent, she thought sadly. Ever since that time he'd been kidnapped by the Akatsuki three years ago, that whole-hearted innocence had been dented. When they'd rescued him, he was in a bad state and had remained in a coma for almost a year. There'd been some major damage done to his system during the failed kyuubi extraction, something that they had no idea how to fix.

While he'd remained in that state, Sasuke had been brought back by Danzou's Root squads. Sasuke's numerous attempts at escape only made things worse for himself. The torture had escalated until the fateful day when Sasuke's escape had resulted in his death.

She cringed at the memory. Not trusting her, Danzou had kept her involvement strictly to a minimum but she could remember the following months as being hellish. Sasuke's corpse had been preserved and his eyes studied extensively with the objective to replicate the Sharingan, without its weaknesses. Then somehow, the old man had seen fit to test the eye operation on her despite the number of blinded nins. Maybe he'd thought that she would be easier to control if it didn't work and she was blinded. Who knew what was going on in his head?

By the time Naruto had woken up, Sasuke had been dead for months and Danzou was fully in power. She could still remember her friend's hair-raising howl when he realized that Sasuke was dead and most of his closest people had been driven away from their homes or threatened into remaining loyal to Danzou. The chakra bindings which held him to his bed in the high-security wing had not stalled him even for a second. In moments, he had disappeared from Konoha.

She had never blamed him for leaving. If she'd been free to do so, she would have done the same. That was the last time she'd seen him. Looking at him now after two years gave her a warmth she'd thought she would never feel again.

Until he reached out to give her a rough shake to jolt her out of her contemplations, that was.

Smacking his hands away, she yelled, "What's that for?"

"What do you mean, you've been through worse with him? What did Itachi do to you?"

Oh, that. Needing to defuse his tension, she waved it away, "Tsk! You're being over-protective again. It's a long story."

He crossed his arms over his chest expectantly. "Well, I've all the time in the world right now, so spill."

Suddenly not sure if she wanted to explain things, she looked away uncomfortably. Dredging up memories in her mind was painful enough but to discuss it with Naruto? Could she handle it?

"Sakura-chan?"

She inhaled and exhaled slowly. He deserved to know the truth.

"Soon after you left, Danzou brought me into ANBU."

Naruto's face twisted in sympathy. "Yeah. I heard from my sources. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

"Don't worry. It really wasn't too bad." She forced a grin. "Who would have guessed that I would become an ANBU before you, huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "That's not funny, Sakura-chan."

"Anyway… One of my first assignments was to track down and apprehend Uchiha Itachi."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Wait a second! What's wrong with Danzou? Itachi's too powerful for one shinobi to take down!"

She shook her head. "Danzou only assigned me because of something I have that no one else has."

"What?"

Knowing that it would be easier to demonstrate it, she fed chakra into her eyes and felt the customary sting as her Sharingan activated. She knew that the three black tomoe had graced the emerald iris of both her eyes when he inhaled sharply in astonishment. With this enhancement, she could see his chakra flaring erratically around him.

Keeping still, she waited for him to draw the right conclusions.

"This…" he whispered, sounding horrified. "Sakura-chan… Danzou did this to you?" he continued in a cracked voice.

"Not only to me. There were others."

"_Were_? How many? What happened to them?"

"A couple of dozen or so. This didn't work for any of them, and they turned blind," she told him grimly. "There were too many unknowns about the Sharingan but Danzou decided that the experiments were worth the risk. But when so many failed, he eventually stopped."

Naruto's eyes flashed red, and stayed red. "It was so dangerous and he put you at risk? You could've been blinded as well!"

She shook her head. "I could have been, but it didn't happen. Somehow, things were different with me. The rest of them manifested the Sharingan immediately but within a couple of days, they lost their eyesight completely. Mine didn't manifest until days after they've finished the operation." She reached out to hold his shaking hands in hers. "Look, I'm fine now. So don't worry. It's a pretty handy thing to have, you know."

He slumped dejectedly as the crimson stains bled back into his familiar blue. "Sakura-chan… I'm sorry…"

She squeezed his hands, touched by his concern. "What are you apologizing for, _baka_! And anyway, there's nothing you could have done about it. You were in a coma when Danzou made the decision."

"But I could've taken you with me before he could do anything to you. Then you wouldn't have to risk fighting Itachi or doing dangerous ANBU missions."

Not fighting Itachi? Despite everything, she knew that the time that she'd spent fighting the Uchiha had played such a major role in her development that she couldn't imagine what it would be like if things were different. Would she change anything if she could turn back time?

She didn't know. Besides, it was a moot point.

"I couldn't leave anyway. Danzou held my parents hostage."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "The bastard just doesn't know when to stop. I'll get them back, I promise. I'll-"

"It's fine!" she interjected quickly. "Itachi and Kisame got them out and they're safe."

Now Naruto looked even more shocked. "He did?"

She nodded. "We have a bit of an agreement going on."

At this, Naruto rolled his eyes. "Figures…"

They both fell silence after that. She had a feeling that Naruto was trying to make sense of all the information she'd just dumped on him. There was a thoughtful look on his face, one she wasn't accustomed to seeing. He was more somber than before but he was still Naruto. Life must have been hard for him ever since he'd left, but then again, it hadn't been easy for any of them.

"Who's with you now?" she asked quietly, needing to know and yet afraid of the answer.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Quite a few people." His cerulean eyes met hers. "It's not that I don't trust you, Sakura-chan. But for now, it's hard to tell you one thing without telling you the rest. And there are things that I'm not entirely sure about."

She felt a stab of disappointment but she swallowed it down. In his position, Naruto probably was responsible for many lives. He was not keeping anything from her to be petty. And in this situation, he was probably right to hold his cards close to his heart. That way, there would be no useful information to extract from her even if she was unfortunate enough to be caught by Danzou.

"At least tell me if Kakashi and Tsunade are safe?"

"Kakashi-sensei is fine. He's with me." Then to her dismay, agitation flashed across his face. "But I can't find Baa-chan or Shizune-nee-chan in the Land of Fire."

She felt the base of her throat constrict at the news.

"I heard some rumors recently, though. I haven't had a chance to check them out yet." He took a deep breath. "So don't worry. I'll fix things, Sakura-chan," he told her resolutely.

But this time, he did not promise.

000

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000

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed that! I really need to keep control of the chapter lengths - it's getting longer and longer with every chapter. What if you fall asleep halfway because it's too long? :P

:elle6778:


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: I am very happy to receive your comments - thank you! For a un-logged-in Janet who referred to her 'brick-like' comments - I truly appreciate your remarks! And to an un-logged-in Red, if you're still suffering through this story and happen to see this note, thanks for letting me know your thoughts - I will keep it in mind for my next fic (if there's another one!).

Without further ado, let us proceed with the next chapter...

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**The Butterfly - -Chapter 8 - by elle6778**

Standing at the sink while he opened a can of fish, Itachi glanced out of the window. The kunoichi and the blond jinchuuriki had been conversing for such a long time that Itachi had finished healing the many minor injuries he'd sustained from the sparring session and had begun to prepare food from the last of their dwindling supply.

A burst of laughter reached him, muted through the glass, and he realized that it was a sound he was unaccustomed to hearing. Then again, their interactions over the past year or two hadn't been the types to encourage such a frivolous sentiment. Their past interactions before he'd agreed to help Naruto consisted only of one violent confrontation after another as she hunted him down. He would have considered her an utter nuisance if not for the fact that he'd been, and still was, keen to observe the progress of a non-Uchiha who'd managed to gain the Sharingan. And of course since then, he'd realized that she had much more to offer in terms of entertainment value.

Naruto and Sakura suddenly met in a long, evidently heartfelt hug. A twinge of something rather uncomfortable made him turn away at the sight and he promptly took the fish and the steaming bowl of ramen to the living room table. Stifling a grimace of distaste, he sat down and lifted a chopstick full of noodles to his mouth. Kisame had left to replenish their supplies, and Itachi had specifically requested for rice and seaweed. He was beginning to tire of ramen.

Itachi looked up from his meal as sounds from the rear of the house signaled that he would soon be disturbed.

The moment Sakura walked in, he found his attention arrested upon her face. Her expression, for the lack of a better word, was _radiant_ as she regarded her friend. It wasn't something he had witnessed before. With him, she usually displayed some form of anger, contempt, and lately, astonishment whenever he did something unexpected.

He smirked inwardly at the recollection of the way they'd parted earlier. It had not been a calculated move, but it had the desired effect of surprising her and the wide-eyed stare of combined shock and confusion was not a sight he would forget anytime soon. She seemed to be particularly unnerved by anything of a sexual nature, which made her seem amusingly naïve. It was such a contradiction especially considering that this kunoichi killed on command.

Her soft laughter broke into his thoughts, causing his gaze to focus upon her shining green eyes. The cause of this new development was unmistakably the blond jinchuuriki striding into the living room with her, their arms linked companionably. Itachi wasn't surprised by their level of comfort with each other, only his own unmistakable displeasure at the sight. To him, this unusual reaction was a clear indication that the kunoichi had managed to burrow deeper than he should have allowed.

"Itachi," Naruto greeted cheerfully as he sat down cross-legged across the table. "This is a great surprise. Thank you! I didn't think I'll see Sakura-chan until after everything is done."

"Hn."

The kunoichi sat down beside Naruto. With a small smile, she said, "Thank you, Uchiha-san."

He raised a brow. "Such formality is surely beyond us," he said drily.

She shrugged, suddenly looking discomfited. The peculiar expression she was wearing was nothing he'd not seen before, and each time, it only emerged when they were touching upon a certain issue. The fact that she wore it now only meant that she was thinking about what he'd done just before they'd parted.

Hiding a smirk, he demanded mildly, "Call me Itachi."

She gave him an incredulous look. "I don't think so."

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan. He's okay, you know." Naruto flicked him an odd glance before returning his attention to her. "You can trust him."

A choked sound escaped her while Itachi gave him a look of surprise, and then the kunoichi implored, "Naruto, please tell me that you remember what the Akatsuki did to you? Itachi was involved too, remember?"

The blond cringed instantly. "Ah, that. I do remember."

Itachi watched as an interesting myriad of emotions flashed across Naruto's features. He had not been the one to capture Naruto. Madara had done so by using Sasuke as bait. However, he'd been present during the extraction process and had watched Naruto scream and thrash while they'd attempted to force the kyuubi out of him.

"Thankfully the Gedo statue broke," Sakura said, and then turned to him curiously. "Akatsuki were long gone by the time we got there, except for Madara and Zetsu but that was because they were dead. We never found out exactly what happened."

When Itachi remained silent, her expression quickly displayed her growing frustration.

"Just in case you didn't get it, that was a hint for you to tell us what happened," she told him pointedly.

Naruto chuckled but his discomfort was obvious to all. "I was completely out of it, so I have no idea what happened."

Itachi hid a smirk as she raised a demanding brow at him. Deciding that he'd riled her enough for now, he responded, "Things did not progress as expected and the statue destabilized."

A thoughtful look came over her. "Both Madara and Zetsu were covered in your black flames. What's that all about?"

"Nothing important."

Now both Sakura and Naruto were eyeing him speculatively, correctly deducing that there was more to his answer. However, he saw no need to justify his actions. He'd merely taken the opportunity when it presented itself. Madara had warned them that the process was a delicate one and they had to be fully synchronized for it to succeed. Itachi supposed everyone's definition of success could differ. For as far as he was concerned, it wasn't an _unsuccessful_ outcome.

"I guess there's no point in forcing you to talk," she muttered resentfully.

He inclined his head at her and watched her bristle in response.

"Ne, ne… Let's not discuss that anymore, okay? It's all over and I'd rather not be reminded," Naruto said quickly. Turning to Sakura, he asked, "So, what are your plans now? Are you heading back to Konoha?"

She shook her head. "I can't."

"You can't? Why?"

Itachi found himself the recipient of a green glare. "Someone took it into his head to bust me out of prison," she said tartly.

Naruto's eyes rounded in shock and then he sputtered. "W-What? Wait a second! Busted you out? But why were you in prison in the first place, Sakura-chan?"

Itachi listened as Sakura proceeded to outline what had happened. She told Naruto that Danzou had been displeased by her failure to detect Itachi's deception and had promptly ordered her to be detained until he decided on a course of action. Of course, before he could make any decision, she had been forcibly removed from her cell and Konoha.

At this point, Naruto gave him a hard look. "I know I said to find a medic, but couldn't you find another one?" Darting a quick look at Sakura, he added, "No offence, Sakura-chan. I know you're the best medic. But you would be much safer in Konoha." Returning to him, Naruto continued tersely, "Dragging her out of Konoha like that is not good. You just made her a target!"

"She's capable of defending herself," Itachi pointed out calmly.

Clearly exasperated, Naruto threw his arms up in the air. "What are you saying? That's not the point! Accidents could happen. Besides, if you'd just waited, I could've told you that-" Naruto broke off suddenly and averted his eyes.

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Itachi was about to demand that Naruto continued when Sakura interjected irately, "Stop it, Naruto! He's right. I can take care of myself."

Itachi felt an odd glow at her words and immediately chided himself. Truly, his reaction to her baffled him. And worse, he was beginning to put a name to it, and he wasn't certain if he liked it.

_Obsession. _

Scowling, she continued, "Anyway, it's done. And I have to say that I'm glad that my parents aren't in danger from Danzou anymore. Better still, I don't have to do the things he orders me to do."

Naruto exhaled loudly as he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Fine. So now that you've joined the ranks of nukenin, what are your plans?" he asked irritably.

"Isn't that obvious? I could help you now! I could go with you."

A long pause followed, one which had Sakura eyeing her friend with growing bewilderment.

"Yeah, you could," Naruto finally mumbled.

Itachi almost sighed out loud. The blond's reluctance could not be any clearer, and the kunoichi had obviously noted it by the way she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her friend.

"You don't sound too happy with that," she bit out tartly.

Naruto threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's not like that, Sakura-chan. I don't have just _me_ to think about nowadays. And to be honest, a lot of the people working with me are paranoid about Danzou's ANBU…" he broke off uncertainly.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "They should know better to think that I'm loyal to Danzou!"

"I _know_ that! Most of our friends know that but they are still stuck in Konoha. The ones with me had been through hell and that sort of things make people scared!"

Annoyance stabbed through Itachi. Deciding to interject before this encounter descended into a brawl between the two younger shinobi, he said to her, "Nukenins are notoriously distrustful. As far as they're concerned, you've been working with Danzou willingly as his loyal ANBU operative."

Naruto nodded. "I understand now why you didn't leave Konoha. Kakashi and a handful of others guessed that there's something holding you back. But I can't predict how the rest would react. I can't just bring you in right now without any preparation. The plans are at the critical point now, and we can't risk anything going wrong."

She slumped visibly. "Sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to make things difficult for you."

With a groan, Naruto reached out to drag her into a hug, rubbing his whiskered face against the top of her head as he did so. "No. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I'd love to have you with us. Just give me some time to talk things through with Kakashi and come up with a strategy. We need to get them used to the idea first. But it shouldn't take too long, so don't worry."

"I trust you, Naruto. And I want to help you get Konoha back to what it was."

"Me too."

It was clearly a private moment. Even as Itachi wondered if he should leave them to themselves, a part of him balked at the notion. This fixation he had for someone had only happened once before in his memory, and it would be insane to think of recreating the same situation here. Feeling this way towards the kunoichi, as if he wanted her attention solely on him, was disturbing.

_Obsessive. _

He narrowed his eyes in displeasure at the word. This could turn into something truly bothersome if he did not do something about it. Before he could dwell further upon the issue, a loud gasp from Naruto drew his attention.

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan! There's something you could do, but only if you're willing to do it. I'm not going to insist or force it on you."

She blinked. "What is it?"

Itachi caught Naruto's meaningful look and comprehension dawned.

When the blond turned back to Sakura, it was to say, "Join Itachi and Kisame. You can help me that way."

She jerked back and sucked in a sharp breath. "W-What?"

Appearing entirely delighted with his idea, Naruto gave Itachi a questioning look. "Are you okay with that, Itachi?"

The pink-haired kunoichi stifled a wince.

Itachi smirked. How could he object, especially knowing that the idea bothered her? "Aa."

Naruto nodded resolutely. "No one knows about my deal with you guys yet. They won't understand until the whole thing comes together, so I didn't say anything. But Sakura working together with you? It's the perfect solution!"

000

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000

Sakura gaped at her old friend.

It was difficult to wrap her head around the idea even though she understood what Naruto was saying. It made sense that she couldn't just go from being what people perceived as a Leaf ANBU agent loyal to Danzou straight to an opposing organization without raising a few questions. One being whether or not she was a spy sent by Danzou to infiltrate the organization. She could not blame Naruto for it, and at least now she knew that he would try to smooth things over first before bringing her in. In the meantime, it wasn't as if she could not be useful to him.

But to work with Itachi and Kisame? It seemed like it wasn't that long ago that her primary mission was to hunt Itachi down and apprehend him. This was a complete turnabout. She had a feeling that she would get along fine with Kisame, but Itachi was a different matter. Their interaction had always been volatile in one way or another, and she wasn't sure where she stood with him most of the time. To add to it, lately their exchanges were growing increasingly _personal._ He seemed to take great joy in riling her, much to her frustration. She could not even fathom what it would be like for them to be working close together for a common goal.

Still, she knew what her decision would be. It made her sad that she wouldn't be with Naruto but if she could contribute this way, she would do it.

"So what do you think, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with a hopeful light in his eyes.

She could feel Itachi's gaze boring into her, but she resisted the urge to look at him. Taking a deep breath, she said slowly, "I think I can manage that."

A wide grin split across Naruto's face, a sight which warmed her to her toes. "That's great! And I'm much happier knowing that you're not alone."

She rolled her eyes at his words, and then smiled wryly. "If you think that Itachi and Kisame would protect me, you're sadly mistaken."

Naruto had the grace to look a little sheepish, while Itachi raised a mocking brow at her, as if he found the whole idea laughable. It made her want to punch both of them in the face. But common sense told her that hitting Naruto would achieve nothing and Itachi would probably deflect her attack anyway. It struck her then that the two men seemed to view her from opposite ends of the spectrum. Naruto tended to be overprotective, while Itachi would happily throw her into the deepest pit of hungry wolves just for the fun of seeing if she could fight her way out alive.

Concern gracing his features, her old teammate started, "But…"

"Don't worry, Naruto. I'll be fine," she assured with a wave of her hand. "I've gone through quite a few difficult solo missions over the past few years."

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it," he muttered.

At that point, Itachi cut in, "When you arrived earlier, you mentioned a task?"

Sakura found herself staring in wonderment as Naruto's demeanor changed immediately. Gone was her boisterous friend and in its place, someone who wore an expression almost identical to the Yondaime Hokage. A bubble of pride surfaced when she realized that whatever Naruto had gone through in the past year or so, he'd come out more mature and responsible.

"Where's Kisame?" he asked. "I don't sense him nearby."

"He went to obtain some supplies," Itachi answered. "I will relay the information to him."

"I suppose that's okay." His eyes gleaming keenly, Naruto said to him, "Well, if you didn't contact me, I would've come tomorrow anyway. Remember the discussion we had regarding Ame?"

Itachi nodded once. "Is it settled?"

Ame? Confused, she looked back and forth between them. "I'm a little lost, I'm afraid."

"You can fill Sakura in about Ame on your way there, won't you Itachi?" Naruto asked him, and continued without waiting for an answer, "We reached a consensus, and it's a yes. So it's a good time to approach them to sign the agreement."

"The agreement?" Itachi prompted.

Naruto withdrew a scroll from one of the pockets in his green vest and then handed it to the other man. "Everything we discussed is in there. We just need a signature and blood seal."

She could only guess that Naruto wanted to do a deal or something with Amegakure. It wasn't a country she knew much about, only that it was small and the majority of the land was occupied by civilians. The place was deluged with rain most of the time, which made agriculture difficult so it meant that they relied on travelling merchants for supplies.

Naruto turned to her. "I'd like to stay longer, but since this is an unscheduled visit, I probably should head back before anyone panics. I've been here for hours."

"Wait!" she gasped, grabbing his arm. Not wanting to rely on Itachi if she could help it, she asked, "How do I get in touch with you?"

His eyes widened and he smacked a palm on his forehead. "Good point. Wait a second." He took out a regular kunai from the pouch strapped to his thigh and muttered, "This would have to do."

Sakura observed with interest as he imbued it with his chakra. "What are you doing?"

The black markings of a seal she didn't recognize appeared on the hilt. Wearing a wide smile, he gave it to her. "I placed the seal for my _Hiraishin-no-jutsu _on it."

Eyes wide in surprise as she took it, she asked, "The Yondaime's technique?"

He nodded proudly. "Yeah, I finally mastered it and tweaked it a bit. If you drop your blood on it, I can sense it. Then I can come to you." His face crumpled slightly. "But sometimes you might need to wait a bit."

Understanding, she gave him a smile. "Thanks, Naruto."

He raised a hand and grinned at her. "See you soon!"

And with a nod to Itachi, he disappeared.

She looked down at the kunai in her hand, realizing belatedly that Naruto could show up where she was anytime he felt like it. Suddenly, it didn't seem like the wisest idea of all. What if he showed up when she was taking a bath or something? Her hand tightened on the kunai. She would _kill_ him if he used this to peek at her.

Her thoughts must have been obvious, because Itachi intoned mildly, "You think too much."

She scowled at him. "I'd like to maintain a modicum of privacy."

The look he gave her was nothing short of condescending. "That's a luxury in our line of work."

"I know, I know… our bodies are our tools and so on," she grumbled as she bent down to slide the kunai into a hidden slot within her boots instead of her usual weapons pouch. Straightening, she asked, "I guess you have one of these too?"

"Something of the sort."

"Isn't it risky for him to give it to so many people?"

"Are you questioning my honor?"

She planted her hands on her hips. "So what if I am?"

He was suddenly looming over her, so close that she was surprised that they were not touching. His onyx orbs bore down on her with suffocating pressure and she felt her hackles rise, as well as something else deep within. However, this was far from the first time he'd tried this tactic on her, and she was growing increasingly accustomed to it. So she stood her ground stubbornly and glared back at him, not even bothering to activate her Sharingan. She could handle this. Still, there was a small part of her which wondered if he would resort to something _intimate_ to wear her down. She hoped not. She could deal with this sort of intimidation, but the other type unsettled her a little too much.

For a long while, they were locked in that position, neither of them willing to give in. The tension in the air escalated by the second, and yet, she did not budge. Let him do his worst, she thought with grim determination.

Finally, he broke the silence with a murmured, "Do not presume that I'm inclined to be lenient just because we will be working together. This partnership is only… temporary."

She sneered, "And why would I presume so? I'm not so stupid as to think that you're capable of any kind of tolerance or compassion."

Something flickered in his eyes, as if he was recalling something, and then his expression went carefully blank as he shifted away from her. Her curiosity piqued, she followed his movement as he went to pick up the empty ramen cup and a can from the low table. Without a further word, he left towards the kitchen, leaving her to stare at his departing figure.

She blinked once.

What was that about?

Ah well, who could understand him anyway? Shrugging inwardly, she returned to the dusty storage room which she had claimed as her own and proceeded to gather some clean clothes. Thankfully, her summons had managed to grab her emergency storage scroll from her home and transported it to her otherwise she would be left without anything. Now at least she had her clothes and her other important supplies.

Soon she was in the bathroom, washing away the sweat and grime from the morning sparring session. She had to admit that it was a good session, despite the fact that unlike normal sparring, she hadn't been sure if her partner would kill her or not. It had been more intense than any other sparring session she'd done in the past. She frowned when she realized that she probably wouldn't mind doing it again. She guessed she could take advantage and use Itachi for training purposes while she could, right? After all, he was a prodigy noted to be the best of his generation.

She tensed suddenly at her thoughts. What was she thinking? Had she forgotten that this was the man who had driven Sasuke to such extremes that he'd ended up dead before he was even eighteen? The recollection of his pale dead face stabbed her accusingly and she sucked in a sharp breath as the base of her throat tightened uncomfortably.

No. She had agreed to work with Itachi for Konoha's future, and that was all. She must not forget who he was or what he had done. That would be a great mistake. Even though Naruto had said that Itachi could be trusted, she would take her friend's words with a great pinch of salt. After all, Naruto always trusted too readily.

Taking a deep breath, she continued washing herself. By the time she finished with her bath, she had succeeded in brushing aside all thoughts of Itachi and was yawning widely. It did not take her long to fall asleep once she dropped onto her sleeping bag set at the end of the storage room next to a pile of boxes.

000

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000

Hours later, she woke up refreshed and stayed in her room to peruse a tome of medical text.

Kisame returned as dusk settled over the horizon with a sack full of food supplies which he stashed in the kitchen, except for the travel ones which he'd distributed to her and Itachi. While she packed the compact food bars with her meager belongings into a storage scroll, Itachi gave the Mist nukenin a succinct outline of their exchange with Naruto. Before long, they were out of the house and travelling south-west towards the Land of Rain.

As darkness descended upon them, they blurred across the dense forest of the Land of Fire. Their chakra was masked tightly as they leapt from tree to tree with minimal sound. Itachi was moving ahead of them, leaving her to travel next to Kisame. Naruto had said that Itachi would fill her in, but considering how well their exchanges progressed in the past, she decided to take her chances with Kisame.

"Hey," she called out as they touched upon the same tree branch before leaping forward.

The Mist nin spared her a questioning glance. "What?"

"What's going on with Naruto and Amegakure?"

Looking a little surprised, he remarked, "Neither of them explained anything, did they?" With a shake of his head, he went on, "Uzumaki asked us to get in touch with Ame's leader a while back. That's Pein, just in case you don't know. Ame's been keeping a low profile but it's impossible to set foot in that place without either Pein or Konan knowing. It's easier for Itachi or me to gain access. Uzumaki wanted to discuss the possibility of a short term alliance, with a view of making it a long-term one if either Uzumaki or the Godaime is reinstated as the leader of Konoha. We're going to Ame to see him to finalize the deal."

Her eyes widened. "Pein? Then isn't Ame's leader the same guy who led Akatsuki?"

Kisame shrugged. "The real leader was Madara. Pein's interest has always been Amegakure. Uzumaki has offered shit-loads of support to Ame's civilian society if this goes ahead. It's the sort of thing Pein would be stupid to pass up."

"So what does Naruto want from him?"

"I don't know. I wasn't involved in the discussions. Not really interested in the details."

A little confused now, she asked, "I'm curious. What exactly are you getting out of helping Naruto? Not that I'm complaining, of course."

He grinned widely as he stared ahead. "What am I getting? Who knows? Probably just a way to kill the boredom."

She stared at him, aghast. "You can't be serious!"

He shrugged again, but didn't answer her.

She really didn't get it. Was he serious or not? She supposed it could be true. After all, they'd been very active for years until that Gedo statue failed and killed half the members. The thought of it also made her realize that Kisame, Itachi and Pein were so much luckier than their other colleagues who hadn't made it.

She frowned deeply as she stared at Itachi who was a mere dot ahead of her. Considering the role he'd played in inadvertently changing her life, she wondered if she would still be reluctantly doing Danzou's bidding right at this moment if Itachi had not survived all those years ago. The thought was truly disturbing, especially combined with her earlier resolution to keep her guard up around him. He'd done terrible things, but he'd inadvertently helped her too. It was so confusing.

They had been travelling for several hours and was not far from the border when Itachi slowed and then stopped abruptly. He held up a hand, followed by fingered signals as they caught up with him. Recognizing the signs, she halted on a branch, activated her Sharingan and promptly stilled.

Now she could sense what he'd detected. About half a mile away, there were nine individuals in total travelling in some kind of formation. And their tightly masked chakra made her suspect that they were high level nins.

A subtle movement from Itachi caught her attention and her eyes met his red ones. After she'd read his next chain of hand signals, she blinked at him in surprise. It wasn't that she couldn't do it, but it was surprising that he was sending her in first. She watched as he repeated the hand signs and punctuated it with an impatient look.

_Move in, break their formation, and take out the ones northwards. _

His eyes glittered with annoyance when she failed to respond. Realizing that she was wasting time, she quickly nodded once and then shot ahead of them.

Even before she'd gotten visual of the nine individuals, their flares of chakra told her that they knew she was coming. Their perceptiveness only confirmed her earlier suspicions that these nins were jounin level or above. Unfortunately a moment later, she picked up hints of their chakra signatures which confirmed their identity. She felt cold all over at the thought of fighting them and her speed stalled in response.

Four Leaf ANBU, four Root agents and an unconscious someone she did not recognize.

Damn it! Root was one thing, but she knew a few people in ANBU. They were under Danzou's order and she knew better than anyone else that even if they didn't want to fight her, they would have to. After all, most of them were in the position where they could not afford to disobey. Disobeying meant risking someone dear to them.

She inhaled deeply. When she'd agreed to this, she conveniently forgotten to consider that she might end up fighting people she'd grown up with. How stupid of her. But she couldn't just do nothing now.

Itachi's growing displeasure was so tangible that she could almost feel the pressure physically bearing down on her. Even if no one had specifically said so, he was the leader of their little team and when she agreed to help Naruto, she'd indirectly agreed to follow Itachi's orders.

Glancing over her shoulder, she caught his Sharingan-bright eyes, and nodded sharply to reassure him. Without waiting for his reaction, and risk losing her nerve, she sped forward again with her hands pumped full of chakra. The Leaf ANBU and Root agents started to move in response, but before they could take a single step, her fist cracked the earth and sent a shower of rocks and earth flying up in the air.

They scattered immediately.

This was like any other mission, she chanted in her head as she continued to wreak havoc upon the group. The sound of earth shattering and gasps of pain reached her and she gritted her teeth. No! This was_ not_ the time to be hesitating, or she would risk getting herself killed. Konoha wasn't the enemy, but Danzou was. And right now, her targets were operating on Danzou's instructions.

Focusing her attention on the three towards the north, she picked up speed until she was almost face to face with a Root agent. Even through its usual stinging discomfort, the Sharingan gave her an unnatural advantage of being able to predict her opponent's moves by observing the minute changes in the body, and despite the barrage of wind jutsu he heaped upon her, she was able to deflect them all. The moment she closed in on him, it was over with one single kick to his abdomen.

Remorse flooded her as he smashed into a tree trunk and slid down in a broken heap. He was Root, she reminded herself. And besides, he was still alive since she'd taken care not to hit anything vital. A few broken bones were nothing and once a medic got to him, he would be fine.

She frowned at the realization that Itachi and Kisame would have no such reservations. They might kill their opponents outright. Her lips tightened in worry. It was imperative that she hurried to join up with them to make sure it didn't happen.

She was heading for the next one when she caught sight of a small figure bound with chakra seals draped over his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed when she caught a flash of metal and the hitai-ate which pronounced the small figure a shinobi from Suna. A sickening comprehension dawned then. Danzou must be up to his usual trick of stealing kekkei genkai for the sake of strengthening the Leaf forces. It wouldn't be the first time either, she thought bitterly.

Her eyes were proof of that.

Danzou's main aim was to make Konoha the most powerful shinobi nation in the world. That in itself wasn't a bad thing, but his methods left much to be desired. There was no _honor_ in his strategies and worse, he didn't see anything wrong with what he was doing. It was for this reason that the relationships Tsunade had carefully nurtured with the other villages had rapidly deteriorated over the past few years. Although they were outwardly civil, Sakura suspected that they knew of the dirty stunts Danzou had ordered his shinobi to perform. And no one liked to have their village's kekkei genkai stolen.

A Root agent dropped the Suna kunoichi to the ground carelessly. Anger at the situation made Sakura scowl darkly at him.

"I guess this kunoichi must have some sort of kekkei genkai," she remarked icily.

The Root agent stared at her impassively. "Yes." His eyes went to her hitai-ate. "You've turned traitor."

She smiled humorlessly and then shrugged. "I'm still loyal to Konoha, just not to Danzou."

"Danzou leads Konoha."

Not for long if she could help it. Without another word, she sped towards the half-masked nin. He brought his fingers together just as she was about to smash the ground at his feet, and with a pop, substituted himself with a log. She spun around to see him descending upon her, sunlight glinting off the blade of his katana.

Charging chakra to her hands, she sidestepped the blade and attempted to make contact with his body. Just a graze would numb his entire body, but he managed to twist out of the way and retaliated with an exploding tag which detonated just after she'd jumped out of the way.

They carried on in this manner for a while, neither of them making much headway, and that was when Sakura began to realize that as long as she was holding back from killing him, she would not gain an upper hand. Her eyes narrowing in determination, she decided that she would just have to approach this a little differently.

It was easier said than done. She came to the realization that at full strength, her attacks were difficult to tamp down and to make things worse, her opponent had caught on to the fact that she was holding back and responded by intensifying his techniques.

A water jutsu just narrowly missed her, crashing instead into a wall she called forth. Hiding behind the earth outcrop, she eyed her glowing hands thoughtfully. She'd only tested this on Itachi once but it sort of worked then, even though it wasn't enough to take him down. It might work now if she concentrated harder on it.

Charging more chakra into her Sharingan to maximize its potency, she brought out a handful of shuriken and concentrated on infusing them with a form of medical chakra. It took much more effort than she'd anticipated and sweat began to drip into her eyes. Thankfully, the fragile strings of glowing chakra began to feather out from the blades like the roots of a tree, but they were so thin that without some kind of eye jutsu like the Sharingan or the Byakugan, one would not be able to see them.

As her earth wall crumbled under the water attack, she leapt upwards and threw the projectiles, taking care to fan them out. She saw a streak of gray and black as her opponent dodged the shuriken one after another.

But he couldn't dodge what he couldn't see.

In mere moments, his movements slowed and he dropped to his feet. The anesthetic medical chakra had worked. Sakura heaved a sigh of relief when his body slumped unconscious to the ground.

Panting from the exertion, she brushed her damp hair off her forehead and looked up. The morning sun was beginning to filter through the tree canopies. A quick scan told her that there were only four shinobi left battling against Itachi and Kisame. Apprehension washed over her at the realization that all four of them were Leaf ANBU and one of them was her friend. He must know that she was fighting against them by now, and she dreaded to guess what he might be thinking.

Whatever it was, she had to hurry, she told herself as she went to crouch down beside the small body she'd seen earlier. Carefully, she turned the unconscious body around. Her heart twisted at the sight of a small pale face of a little girl no more than seven years old. Pressing her lips together tightly to stop them from trembling, she gave her a quick check up to ensure that there was nothing life-threatening. To her relief, the girl seemed to be suffering only minor injuries and dehydration.

She propped the girl against a tree sheltered by some bushes and stood up. Fury tightly coiled within her, she vowed that Danzou must be stopped. Naruto was the key here and she would do anything in her power to help her friend to get Konoha back to where it was.

In the meantime, she had to make sure that none of her friends got themselves killed.

Turning around, she sped back in the direction where alarming bursts of chakra continued to propagate. She hoped that she was not too late, she thought, detecting only two active chakra signatures battling against Itachi and Kisame.

She skidded into the clearing to find that Kisame had just leapt off in a chase for his Root opponent, while Itachi raised his katana at a familiar looking ANBU. Her arrival caught both their attentions and they paused.

A pair of pale eyes widened at her. "Sakura?"

Her heart twisted as she looked upon his familiar face. But when she saw the stony expression on Itachi's, apprehension welled up within her and she felt her blood run cold.

"Stop! Don't kill him!" she shrieked.

Itachi flicked a dismissive glance at her, and then ran his blade into Neji's gut.

000

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A/N: No doubt Neji's fans would gladly hang me up on a noose now... Please review anyway, if you're willing!

On a completely unrelated note, I've been watching Itazuna na Kiss lately - for the second time round. Have you seen it? I love it so much, even though the main characters make me feel like strangling them throughout most of the anime. I wish there were more animes like this around. I think it's my favorite romance one.

:elle6778:


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy this chapter...

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**The Butterfly - -Chapter 9 - by elle6778**

"No!" Sakura screamed.

Itachi pulled his katana out of the Hyuuga and the younger nin fell into a heap on the ground. The ANBU was stubborn and only this level of injury could stop him. He supposed he could have used Tsukuyomi if not for the fact that he'd given his word to Naruto that he would refrain from inflicting his brand of psychological trauma on the Leaf forces. There were so many limitations to what he could do, but he supposed that it made things more challenging.

"I can't believe you stabbed him!" Sakura shouted furiously. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She rushed forward and just as she was about to pass, he reached out to clamp his hand around her wrist. A pair of furious eyes connected with his as she skidded to a halt. He was amazed at the amount of raw emotion she was capable of displaying just with one look.

"Let me go!" she snarled, and promptly sent a surge of chakra in the direction of his hand.

Releasing her before any harm was inflicted on his person, he pointed out flatly, "You are over-reacting."

She glared at him for a moment, and then turned and continued on as he regarded her with undisguised annoyance. He might have over-estimated her intelligence after all. It defied belief how she could think that he would kill a Konoha nin, knowing fully well that he was working for Uzumaki Naruto. She should know that the blond shinobi would not allow such a thing. After all, the idealistic jinchuuriki was aiming to take over Konoha without any casualties.

Itachi had his doubts that it was feasible. However, it would be interesting to see him try. In Itachi's experience, war and death intermingled closely. Hadn't he seen it with his own eyes when he'd been a mere child? Foolishly, he'd been so traumatized by the experience that he would have done anything to avoid fighting, despite his father's insistence for him to excel as a shinobi. In the end, he'd been forced to see that such an outlook in life achieved nothing, and that this weakness was interfering with his duty.

The catalyst for the turning point in his life was Shisui. He had to admit that he owed Shisui much. All the while, his older cousin had known what needed to be done. Not only had Shisui used his Kotoamatsukami to ensure that Itachi would not hesitate, Shisui had also provided him with Mangekyou Sharingan upon his death. His new weapon had given him the means to spill the blood of his kin.

Blood had and would continue to be shed. It was a fact that no one could change. Once he had been naïve enough to think otherwise, but he now knew better. Sakura clearly had not acquired this understanding yet.

As he watched, she sank to her knees beside the Leaf ANBU. The Hyuuga coughed, clutching his blood-soaked midsection. His mask shielded his expression from view, but his voice betrayed his confusion. She pushed his mask to the side carefully and began to check his eyes and then his pulse.

"S-Sakura?"

She nodded quickly and then ran her hand over his wound. "Don't move. Let me help."

"W-Why…" he broke off, gasping in pain. "Why are you with… them?"

She shook her head, looking stricken. "Don't worry about that."

When the Hyuuga did not reply, Itachi knew that he had fallen unconscious. The sight of her tending to the injured man most unwelcomed. It was evident that she knew the ANBU personally and was currently allowing her emotions to drive her actions. Itachi was honest enough to admit that he also did not like the kunoichi to pay so much attention to the Hyuuga, although such an admission wasn't something he was prepared to broadcast to anyone.

"You'll be fine, Neji…" she murmured softly as she ran her glowing hands over the Hyuuga.

"That's enough," Itachi intoned firmly. "His injury is not fatal."

The heightened tension in her form was the only sign that she'd heard him. Disregarding him much to his ire, she continued to heal the other shinobi until his wounds were completely gone. Soon afterwards, she carried the man to a nearby tree to prop him up against it.

Only then did she stand up to face him with her fists clenched by her sides.

"I might not know all the details of the deal between you and Naruto, but I can't believe that he would agree to you harming his friends," she bit out vehemently. "And Neji is one of our oldest and dearest friends."

"A fact that I'm well aware of."

Anger suffused her features. "Then why did you stab him?"

"You must have noticed that his injuries are not life-threatening. And the rest are still alive," he pointed out, growing increasingly irritated by this exchange. He was not accustomed to being questioned in this manner and he did not intend to entertain further insolence from her.

"There are other ways to incapacitate a person," she shot at him angrily. "You chose the most violent option."

He gave her an unyielding look. "The regular patrols would find them and retrieve them in time. There's no need for you to heal him or any of the others."

"You don't get to decide if and when I should heal someone," she pronounced stiffly.

"As I am leading this mission, it's reasonable to expect you to follow my orders."

"Orders?" She snorted derisively. "My friends are more important than some stupid orders!"

His temper flared, and he had to consciously modulate his tone. "You're allowing your emotions to impair your judgment."

Her green eyes flared in defiance. "My judgment is fine. Contrary to what you think, my emotions make me work harder and get better results. Unlike you, I don't approach things emotionlessly because nothing is important enough to make a difference. And you know what? That's just sad because in the end, you're just a jaded man with no goals in life."

Her words struck a chord in him, even though he maintained his calm outwardly. "I'm not jaded."

She snorted. "That might not be the right word, but you get what I mean. Naruto's fighting for Konoha, and many are doing the same, including me. That to me is something important." She thumped a fist to her chest. "That's why I invest my feelings in this. This is not just an impersonal mission to me. So what does it matter if I get emotional over stuff?"

"You're not to do so during an operation with me," he decreed stonily while suppressing the urge to shake her.

"I'll do what I like."

It took him a fraction of a second to force her into the nearest tree. She glared at him with her Sharingan, as if daring him to do more to her. Like before, his wrists were encircled by her chakra-fuelled fingers but he did not release her. Unlike her soothing healing chakra, he knew that this version could inflict severe damage on him should she choose to utilize it. The sensation of the energy around his wrist was unpleasantly threatening.

"Do not be stubborn," he warned.

"Don't dictate what I can or cannot do," she retorted heatedly.

Exasperation mingled with something else flooded him. Ignoring the burn of her chakra on his wrists, he gave her a rough shake. Her expression turned mutinous and of all inappropriate things, he felt a spike of arousal. His eyes narrowed speculatively. Threatening her was clearly futile. Perhaps he should change his method of persuasion. Or perhaps he could view this as a form of punishment for her.

With that thought, he lifted their joined hands over her head twisted her around. Before she could escape, he restrained her bodily. She froze in shock when his chest pressed tight against her back.

"Stop this!" she objected. With her back to him, he could not see her expression but her alarm was clearly broadcasted by the hint of tremor in her voice.

"Or else?" he prompted as he pushed closer.

A gasp escaped her lips. "Wh-What are you doing?" she stammered agitatedly.

"You'll see."

She grew more rigid when he leaned down close to the pulse point behind her ear and inhaled deeply. Her feminine scent was heady and he found himself wanting more. It was just as well that he wasn't planning to stop yet. Not until he proved his point.

"Let me go," she said in an unsteady tone.

"No."

She tensed further. And then, abruptly, she jerked. Itachi bit back a hiss of pain as the back of her head connected with his nose. She proceeded to struggle furiously, and her chakra began to burn around his wrists.

Ignoring the pain, he flattened his body against hers to restrain her movements and then dove in until his lips touched the point on her neck where her pulse fluttered rapidly in betrayal of her heightened emotion. A muffled sound of protest vibrated against his tongue as he licked up the side of her neck. It was quickly followed by a gasp when he nipped sharply at her earlobe. Her body trembled as he repeated the actions.

How responsive she was with only so little stimulation. But then again, he wasn't completely unaffected either. The tightening pressure low on his abdomen was proof of that. Guided by instincts as old as time, he ground his hips against her rear, drawing a choked exclamation from her.

Still, despite his attempts to distract her, the small hands around his wrist remained charged with chakra, drawing a grudging sense of respect from him. His wrists continued to suffer chakra burns that were growing increasingly painful. Despite this, she'd done nothing further to stop him. If she truly wished it, she could inflict enough harm on to cease this completely. His wrists were still firmly in her grasp, after all. A second or two would be sufficient for her to snap his bones. Why had she not done so?

Deciding to push further, he sucked on her pulse point.

This time, a strangled sound escaped from her, sounding suspiciously like a muffled moan. Her grip on his wrists loosened completely. He could not decide if it was fortunate or unfortunate that she'd finally caved.

And that was when it occurred to him that although he chose to justify this as a method of punishment, the truth was, he had wanted to do this. He wished to touch her, and to see her react to him. These were the moments when her attention was fully fixed on him and no one else.

Releasing her, he stepped back abruptly, feeling unusually disconcerted.

She spun around to face him with reddened cheeks and a flustered look gracing her features.

"W-What the hell?" she bit out through clenched teeth.

"Had you remained focused and unaffected by your emotions, you would have incapacitated me while you could. Instead, you succumbed to distraction and released me," he indicated evenly. "Have I made my point?"

Her eyes widened as comprehension dawned. "Y-You…" she sputtered. And then with escalating fury, she snarled, "I can't believe this! You took advantage of me just to prove some lame point? Just how_ low_ can you get?"

"That could hardly be described as taking advantage," he told her dryly.

"Why, you arrogant, self-absorbed bastard! There's just a line you don't cross with people you work with!" she shrieked in a painfully loud voice as she rushed forward.

Itachi swiped her hand to the side before the punch could hit his face, and then pulled her arm behind her back to restrain her. Pain shot up from his raw wrists, causing his hold to loosen slightly. It was enough to allow her to twist away and push him hard against a tree, a reversal of their earlier position. The bark of the tree dug through his cloak into his back uncomfortably but he kept his expression impassive. In contrast, she was breathing so hard that her entire body was shaking.

Her chakra-encased palms were pressed against his chest threateningly, while his own fingers dug hard into the front of her throat. Neither of them was willing to retreat, so they remained locked in a standstill.

The sound of deliberate throat-clearing interrupted them and in a flash, Itachi felt her hand leave his chest. Her fingers grazed his hands and the sudden numbness forced him to release his hold.

They both turned to find Kisame raising a questioning brow at them.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked with obvious mirth.

Sakura shook her head once and then stormed away without a further word. Itachi's gaze followed her until she disappeared from sight. Their interrupted exchange made him feel on edge and he had to restrain himself from going after her. This was not the appropriate time to continue to indulge himself. He glanced down at his reddened wrist, deciding that his priority would be to deal with his injury first.

Kisame chuckled. "She doesn't look too happy. You need to work on your flirting skills, Itachi."

He cut the Mist nin a sharp look. "It wasn't my intention to flirt."

"Really?" Kisame grinned widely, baring his pointed teeth. "I've never seen you paying so much attention to a girl before. It sure looked like some strange form of flirting to me."

Itachi gave him a look which promised unimaginable pain should he continue with his inane remarks. Even though there may be some form of truth in Kisame's words, Itachi was not about to tolerate the Mist nin's teasing.

Holding up his hand in a gesture of surrender, Kisame relented, "Fine. I will say one more thing and then I'll shut up."

He waited silently.

Kisame sobered. "You must realize by now that things are not the same as before. I think maybe this time, you could take it easy. If you like her, just go for it. You've got nothing to lose, after all."

_Like?_ It was too mild a word to describe how he felt towards the kunoichi.

Even if Kisame was right, it did not matter. He was not interested in personal relationships of any form with anyone. Families and friendship were no longer important to him. How could it be? He'd single-handedly removed all his bonds in just one night and had lived his life mostly in solitude since then. Forming a bond with the kunoichi at this point was unthinkable.

Turning away, Itachi murmured, "Let's move on."

A small voice inside him whispered that perhaps he was trying too hard to convince himself that she was just as unimportant as those family and friends he had slaughtered.

000

* * *

000

Sakura fumed silently as she sloshed forward with every step. Her mood was already foul after Itachi's unreasonable accusation that she was overly emotional, followed by that little stunt he'd pulled to prove his point, but it had gone further downhill when Itachi had found her with the unconscious little kunoichi strapped to her back.

"What is this?" he'd asked coldly.

"A kunoichi of Suna," she'd responded challengingly.

He'd flatly refused to take the girl with them, but Sakura had refused to leave her in Leaf territory where Danzou's forces would stumble upon her when they came to search for Neji and the rest. Once again, they had ended up in a stalemate.

In the end, Kisame had laughingly suggested that they contacted Naruto. For some reason, the Mist nin seemed to think that the whole situation was hilarious. Well, she wasn't amused. Thankfully, the blond had arrived swiftly. Naruto had then promised to return the kunoichi to Suna and to make sure that no further harm came to the incapacitated Leaf nins, much to Sakura's relief.

That had been almost a day ago. And since then, she had Itachi had not exchanged a single word. He led the way, which meant that she'd been boring murderous holes in his back all this time, but if he'd felt it, he wasn't letting it show.

"Is it going to ever stop raining?" she muttered darkly as she swiped a dripping wet strand of wet hair from her eye. She was beginning to get really cold as well, even though it was probably around midday. Or maybe it was already afternoon. With the sky covered with rainclouds, sunlight was blocked and everything around them was colored a muted grey.

Kisame, who was walking beside her, let out a bark of laughter. "Why do you think it's called the Hidden Village of Rain?"

She groaned in defeat. "We've been drowning in this for the past few hours!"

"It's some distance yet to Amegakure." Kisame frowned thoughtfully. "But I think we're taking a detour."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Means this is not the most direct route to Ame."

Then where were they heading to? She stared at the back of Itachi's head, and then decided that her need to know was more important than her need to maintain silence. Speeding up and sending splashes of mud flying up behind her, she caught up with the tall nin.

Being so close to him immediately reminded her of the sensation of his lean form pressing tight against her back and she scowled in irritation. Couldn't he have chosen a better way to win their verbal battle? What was more embarrassing was the way she'd responded to his touches. At first she'd been too stunned to move, but soon afterwards, she'd been unable to think properly and was just reacting.

Maybe he was right, after all, she thought grudgingly. She should not let things like that sidetrack her. Her kunoichi lessons had covered this sort of things in detail. Still, attending Anko's lessons was completely different from experiencing it first-hand. Itachi must have figured out that things of this nature unsettled her, and had deliberately used it to make a point.

It wasn't as if she didn't understand what he was trying to tell her in his own demented way, but she wasn't the type to easily bury her emotions. There was no way she could force herself to be a perfectly impassive killing machine like him. He had not even blinked an eye when he'd stabbed Neji earlier, knowing perfectly well that it would hurt a person he wasn't even supposed to harm. It was almost like he had no capacity for compassion at all. Nothing seemed to rile him.

She slid a sidelong glare at him, thinking that she would love to turn the tables on him and catch him off-guard for once. But she could not think of anything that would faze him. She doubted that he would blink an eye even if she chose to throw him down to the ground and molest him the way he'd done to her. He would probably wait until an opening presented itself, and then retaliate with something ten times worse.

"Have you finished sulking?" he asked suddenly without looking at her.

Her eyes narrowed. They had not exchanged a word in hours and this was how he chose to start their conversation? He had some nerve.

"I wasn't sulking," she denied flatly.

"Hn."

"Mind telling me where we're going?" she asked brusquely.

He slid a sideways glance at her. "A tea house."

She frowned in confusion. "Aren't we going to Ame?"

"You may continue onwards if you wish. I prefer to stop for refreshment," he told her flatly.

She blinked at him, suddenly unsure how to respond. This was unexpected. Somehow, she'd placed Itachi as someone who would soldier on regardless of the weather or any discomfort. Right now, he almost sounded as if he was growing sick of travelling in the rain and wanted a break from it, not that he'd actually admitted that out loud, of course. Because that would only make him seem all too human.

"Why? Can't take a bit of rain?" she taunted in a possibly suicidal attempt to annoy him.

The look he shot her was nothing short of condescending. Unfortunately, he probably guessed what she was up to and wasn't rising to it. It was plain frustrating.

"So… are we almost there?"

"Aa."

In less than half an hour, they were in front of a teahouse sat on a mostly unoccupied street. Sakura looked around curiously, noting that most people there seemed to be travelling merchants. Itachi seemed to know his way around, and they followed as he made a beeline for a single-storey building. Sakura looked around cautiously as she entered, noting potential exit points and the fact that the place was only half-full.

A waitress showed them to an empty table, took their orders and then left. They sat in silence until she returned with the teapot and their food.

"So, you're on speaking terms again, I see," Kisame remarked.

She scowled at him. "Only when necessary."

Itachi poured the tea silently.

Shaking his head, Kisame said, "Don't hold a grudge like this. It's nothing personal."

She rolled her eyes. "That's the thing. It's personal to me."

Kisame raised a brow. "We did leave all of them alive, you know? It would've been much easier if we didn't need to hold back."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"And you know what I find very interesting?" he asked with a grin.

She groaned, feeling like she really shouldn't ask. "What?"

"Both Itachi and I injured your precious Konoha friends, and yet, you're only angry at him." He pressed a hand to his chest and his grin widened. "I feel a little left out."

As his observation hit her, she flushed uncomfortably. "He stabbed Neji and Neji's a good friend of mine!" she defended.

"Oh? You're close then? So maybe this Neji is sort of a-"

"That's enough, Kisame," Itachi interjected quietly, but his tone was no less threatening. Gesturing to the food, he instructed, "Eat."

Sakura glared at Kisame, who looked thoroughly amused. He was just poking fun at her now. Responding to his comments would only make things worse. Gritting her teeth, she began to poke at her food with her chopsticks.

Still, as she began to bring a piece of takoyaki to her lips, she could not help but mull over Kisame's question. Why had she reacted so strongly to what Itachi had done, but hadn't felt the same when it came to Kisame's actions? Whilst it was true that she cared for Neji more than the rest of those Leaf nins, she should be almost just as angry at Kisame.

So, why?

000

* * *

000

Night had fallen by the time they reached Pein's base of operations, which was the tallest tower in Amegakure. Rain continued to pour as Itachi climbed the stone steps up to the large doors where two Ame nins were posted. Recognizing him and Kisame, they bowed respectfully. He entered the base of the tower with the Mist nin and Sakura behind him and made his way through the double doors opposite. Their footsteps echoed through the space bounded by tall metal columns rising to the domed ceiling above.

Once they were standing in the middle of the sparsely decorated main hall, Itachi stopped and waited.

A wavering figure suddenly appeared. His distinctive spiky orange hair and his pierced features were enough to identify him to anyone. So, Pein was using the Deva Path to communicate with them today then, Itachi thought. Then again, this was how he usually faced them, unlike the time when he'd met with Naruto. He'd brought Uzumaki Naruto along at the blond's insistence the last time he came here. Somehow, Pein had seen fit to show Naruto his true emaciated self. Itachi had remained detached from most of the proceedings but he'd found himself impressed by the way Naruto had managed to convince Pein that peace could be achieved if they worked together. Pein had resisted at first, but the blond jinchuuriki had persisted until the older man finally agreed to give him an opportunity to prove himself.

"Itachi. Kisame," Pein greeted through Yahiko's body.

Itachi inclined his head, as Kisame greeted, "Been a while, Pein-sama."

Then Pein's eyes settled upon Sakura and Itachi watched with interest, combined with a rather unpleasant sensation he could not name, as surprise swirled within the Rinnegan. He wondered what was drifting through the mind of Ame's leader. He was slightly concerned by Pein's reaction to Sakura. The older man was studying the wary kunoichi as if he was attempting to solve a riddle.

"And who is this?" Pein asked without taking his eyes away from her.

"I'm Haruno Sakura, Pein-sama," she replied in a cautious tone.

After a short pause, the spiky-haired nin asked, "You're a Konoha kunoichi?"

Her lips twisted wryly as she brought her hand up to her hitai-ate. "I guess I should put a slash across this soon. I'm a nukenin."

"I see."

A flurry of paper suddenly fluttered across the room, and Sakura's alarmed expression caught his eyes. Itachi shook his head once, signaling to her not to do anything foolish. To his surprise, she shifted and moved closer to him as the white sheets drifted together and melded until a female form with blue hair and amber eyes appeared.

"My apologies. I was detained." She looked at him and greeted, "Itachi, Kisame. It's good to see you." And then she looked at Sakura curiously. "And this is?"

"Haruno Sakura," the pink-haired kunoichi supplied.

She nodded. "I'm Konan, Pein's partner. Welcome to Amegakure."

"Thank you for having me," Sakura murmured politely.

Pein gave him a querying look. "I assume the reason for this visit is to do with what we discussed the last time?"

Itachi nodded once and then reached into his cloak. Retrieving a sealed scroll, he offered it to the other nin. "I've been tasked to give you this scroll."

Taking it from him, Pein asked, "This is the agreement we discussed with Naruto?"

"Aa."

Pein passed the scroll to Konan. "Can you keep this where it belongs? I will look at it later."

Konan smiled gently. "Of course. I should get the rooms prepared for our guests."

"Please do."

Turning to him and Kisame, she said, "You know where your rooms are. Kisame, there's something we need to discuss so please come with me." And then to Sakura, she added, "Your presence is welcomed, but unexpected. I need some time to get things ready and will find you when I'm done."

Instead of exiting in her usual flurry of white paper, Konan waited until Kisame was by her side before she made her way to the door at the end of the room. Idly, Itachi wondered what business Konan had with the Mist nin, considering that their association had ended years ago with the disbandment of Akatsuki.

Inclining his head at them, Pein said, "I'm afraid I have to leave you here for a short while. Something requires my attention in the village. We will discuss things further when I return. In the meantime, please make yourself at home."

"Aa."

Pein's figure wavered and then disappeared.

000

* * *

000

Tension coiled tightly within her, Sakura stared at the blank space where Pein had been standing just a moment ago. The orange-haired man exuded such an intense level of power that she could not help but keep her guards up all while. It was draining.

When she was sure that Pein was gone, Sakura turned to Itachi. "Do you think he will sign the agreement?"

"It is likely." And then, after a brief pause, he asked, "Have you had an encounter with him prior to this day?"

"Eh?" A little confused, she replied, "An encounter? No I haven't met him before. I've heard of him, of course. "Why?"

"It's nothing important." His eyes darted to the door. "I intend to retire to my room. You may amuse yourself as you see fit."

That was a definite evasion, she decided suspiciously. Still, she had a more pressing issue to worry about than that. Namely Naruto's intention to join forces with Amegakure. Pein didn't look like someone who would allow himself to be ordered about. She only hoped that Naruto knew what he was doing. But then again, her friend possessed the uncanny knack of achieving the impossible.

She looked around, taking in the tall metal columns rising up the perimeter of the hall. The windows high up on the walls told her that it was still raining outside. She had only arrived but she felt terribly antsy. It was a funny sensation, almost like there was something urging her to escape the confines of the tower. She supposed it made sense, seeing that she didn't fully trust Itachi or Kisame in the first place, and then compounded by the fact that she was in a foreign country under the hospitality of those she didn't know.

"Am I allowed to explore?" she asked.

His eyes flickered briefly, and she had the sensation that he might be well aware of her anxiety. However, his tone betrayed nothing when he said, "You will be stopped if you attempt to enter prohibited areas."

"Great. I guess I'll just wander around until that happens, then."

Raising a hand, she waved at him and then turned to walk out of the hall. She could feel his gaze tracking her steps until she left the building. The guards outside slid her a suspicious look but said nothing, so she continued to descend the stairs until she reached the street. Rain continued to pour, drenching her to the skin but at this point, she had grown resigned to it.

Her steps splashed in the shallow puddles as she walked down the sparsely occupied street. She must look a sight, wandering around in this weather. Already, she had caught sight of a couple of people staring at her from the safety of their window as she passed. This looked like a typical civilian village, she thought. She didn't even see any shinobi guards posted around the village. Or maybe their defense system was something more sophisticated that she'd imagined?

A hanging white signboard ahead flapped in the wind, catching her attention. It was a teahouse, she noted with relief. Without further ado, she made her way there and walked up the few wooden steps to the entrance.

She was met just inside the door by an elderly lady who wore a pleasant, but wary smile. Despite the nearly-empty streets, she could see through the doorway that the teahouse was surprisingly full. This place must be good then, she decided.

"Welcome," the elderly lady greeted. "Come in. Table for one?"

"Yes, please."

As she walked in, some of the patrons glanced up to look at her curiously. They were probably regulars, she surmised. Almost all were civilians but she spotted a handful wearing Amegakure's hitai-ate. These people were the ones who were paying her the most attention. She supposed she would do the same if a foreign kunoichi suddenly appeared at Ichiraku.

Ignoring them, she followed the lady to a table in the back. After giving her orders of tea and a platter of daifuku, a soft rice cake with sweet filling, she sat back and tried to relax. Snippets of conversations reached her, even though she wasn't deliberately eavesdropping.

"… hard to come by. Some of the travelling merchants are late this season."

"Aa. We try to stock up each time. But there's just so much you can buy at one time, right?"

"… dredging the rivers again. Good thing Pein-sama is getting them to do it regularly. Helps with the flooding problem in the north. Why…"

"… schools were shut last week. Kaito spent all his time at home messing up the house! Honestly!"

"… kunoichi. Wonder what she's doing here?"

"Who knows? I heard she came with Itachi-sama and Kisame-sama."

"I suppose that's fine then. Pein-sama will take care of it if she poses any danger to us."

The last ones were muted remarks by the Ame nins sitting a couple of tables away. They were clearly confident in their leader's abilities. She didn't know what she'd thought, but she'd heard that Ame was poor because of it ended up as collateral damage in the wars fought by the larger shinobi nations a long time ago. The fact that they trusted their new leader implied that he was doing right by them.

"Here you go," a waitress announced as she placed the tea and sweets on the table.

"Thank you." Sakura took out some ryou and slid it across the table. "Is this enough?"

The waitress smiled. "I'll get you some change."

"Keep the change," Sakura said quietly.

"Thank you!"

As she began to eat, she continued to mull over what she'd overheard. Funnily enough, the conversations went a long way in easing her tension. Maybe it was because they sounded so normal. These people might be poor, but they didn't sound bitter and angry. If Pein managed to maintain peace for his people, surely he couldn't be that bad. Maybe this was what Naruto had seen in him.

Once she'd finished, she stood up and made her way to the exit. A few pairs of eyes followed her but once again, no one did anything. Ignoring them, she stepped out of the teahouse.

And almost ran straight into a tall body.

A pair of purple eyes with concentric circles met hers and she felt her breath catch. Her heart rate automatically picked up as she tensed.

"P-Pein-sama!" she exclaimed in surprise as she took a step back.

He inclined his head, and then glanced into the teahouse. "It's rather busy today, isn't it?" he remarked mildly.

She blinked uncertainly in the face of his calmness. "Um… I guess?"

"Perhaps I'll return another day."

When the silence stretched out a little longer than was comfortable, she asked, "Um… do you like this place?"

"Konan likes the confectionaries here."

Sakura tamped down on her surprise. Was Pein here to buy Konan something? It was unexpectedly sweet of him. She didn't know him well enough to say it out loud, though. So, she kept her comments to herself.

"I'm returning to the tower," she told him.

"I'll return with you."

And with that, they began to walk side by side down the street in the rain. Pein led her through smaller alleyways, which she presumed was a shorter route back. These were dark and even more deserted than the main streets and not even a single face peeked out of the windows as they passed. The only sound she could hear was the subtle splash of their footsteps and the occasional caws of the crows at the edge of the roof overhead.

They had walked for a short while in silence when suddenly without warning, Pein turned around and reached his hand out for her head. Sakura gasped in shock and in reflex, her Sharingan activated. Hastily, she batted his hand to the side and backed into a defensive stance. Her heart was thumping harder with her growing alarm. What had she gotten herself into?

"What the hell?!" she hissed.

His eyes narrowed speculatively. "Sharingan?"

"What's going on?" she snapped as she took a step back, and then another until they were at opposite ends of the dark alleyway. Her mind whirred with all sorts of thoughts of double crossing and betrayal, and her panic mounted. Were Itachi and Kisame in on this as well? "I was under the impression that you're on our side."

His face betrayed nothing as he raised his hand, palm facing her. To her shock, she found herself involuntarily dragged towards him with her boots scraping loudly against the wet ground. It was like her entire body was bent on moving itself to him. Gritting her teeth in determination, she struggled to escape the technique while her mind raced to understand what was going on. Was this whole thing just some elaborate ruse she couldn't wrap her mind around?

"Stop this, you bastard!" she snarled as she tried to stem her growing panic.

His expression darkened with disapproval. "Do not resist."

She ground her teeth and flared her chakra, focusing on pinning her feet to the ground. Her headlong rush towards him skidded to a halt, but she was unable to break out of his hold. Still, she was not going to make this easy for him. Even though he was insanely strong, it didn't mean that she would give in without a fight.

"Don't resist? You've got to be joking!" she retorted angrily.

Frowning in displeasure, he simply walked forward. Her blood ran colder with every step he took but she couldn't make her feet move. And when he reached her, he placed a cold hand on her forehead. She flinched as his chakra entered her mind and tried to jerk away but with no success. What was he doing?

When he finally pulled away, she glared wrathfully at him. He simply regarded her with a thoughtful look. She went cold at the thought that he had probably just invaded her mind. What had he gleaned from her? Did she possess any information that might endanger Konoha or her friends?

Abruptly, she found herself freed. In a blink of an eye, she was on the other side of the alleyway.

"What did you do?" she demanded harshly.

"I needed some information."

Furious and more than a little lost, she spat at him. "Normal people just ask questions. Not help themselves to the thoughts of other people."

"I never claimed to be normal," he said with a wry smile, as if he hadn't just invaded her privacy. "Come, let's continue our journey."

"No."

He raised a brow. "Don't be afraid. I didn't harm you, and I have no plans to do so," he told her quietly. "Let's return so you could rest."

She hesitated, her anger deflating slightly in the face of his calmness. What should she do? Considering what had just happened, it seemed mad to go along with him.

"I mean you no harm, Sakura-san," he reiterated.

She could tell from his tone that he was sincere. Still… "I'm not sure I can trust you," she told him bluntly.

A small smile curled his lips. "Well, it would be unwise to trust another too easily." He gave her a pointed look. "There are two options available to you at this point in time. You could leave Amegakure now, or return with me to the headquarters."

Should she leave? What would that achieve? Naruto trusted Pein enough to propose some sort of alliance with him, and whether or not she was here, she was certain that Naruto's plans with Pein would progress one way or another. Departing from Amegakure meant abandoning her task. She frowned thoughtfully. Did she want to leave without seeing things through properly? Besides, if Pein had ulterior motives, wouldn't it be better for her to stay to keep an eye on things?

"Have you made your decision, Sakura-san?"

After a long pause, she nodded curtly. "Fine. But please don't do that again."

He only smiled. Casting him wary looks, she followed in his wake as he walked pass her and turned right into yet another alleyway.

What was she getting herself into?

000

* * *

000

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed that. As always, I'd love to see what you think of the chapter. We are probably about halfway through the story now... though it's hard to tell at this stage!

:elle6778:


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